Berube at Rizzotti

[HuskyNan]

Carla inherited a pretty good team at Princeton. Before anointing her as the UConn-Coach-in-waiting we need
to see if she can recruit at the D1 level.

Since coming to Illinois, D3 coaching whiz Nancy Fahey has yet to attract a 4 star recruit to come to Champaign.
It aint easy, but it's essential for success.

Recruiting to UConn is vastly different than recruiting to Illinois. The name alone will attract players

 

[JoePgh]

Recruiting to UConn is vastly different than recruiting to Illinois. The name alone will attract players

But (IMO) in order to benefit in recruiting from the UConn name and tradition, the new coach has to have a credible connection to it. And the new coach should have a name in women's basketball that recruits will recognize -- not the case with Rizzotti or Berube.

For these reasons and others, my vote is for Sue Bird.

 

[Alydar]

Actually it was just Duke and it was just the men's basketball job. There isn't a better woman's basketball job in the country than UConn. UConn has among the nicest facilities in the country but more importantly it has a fan base that actually cares about woman's basketball. Heck SNY pays more for the right woman's basketball than many men's team get. It's kind of a big deal.

I think you are absolutely wrong about the budget being decreased when Geno leaves. The next coach might not get the same salary (although they might depending on who it is) but cutting team budget is unlikely and, in fact problematic.

It's not just Geno's salary. His assistants are among the highest paid. I'll bet his recruiting budget is among the highest. Tenn's budget decreased by a third when they hired Holly. There's a reason Tenn doesn't travel as much any more. Womens Basketball State used to have those numbers before they revamped their format.

Any school's wbb program is going to be driven by the coach. To think that players come to UConn because of the school is naive.

 

[Alydar]

Recruiting to UConn is vastly different than recruiting to Illinois. The name alone will attract players

The name that attracts players is Geno.

 

[EricLA]

But (IMO) in order to benefit in recruiting from the UConn name and tradition, the new coach has to have a credible connection to it. And the new coach should have a name in women's basketball that recruits will recognize -- not the case with Rizzotti or Berube.

For these reasons and others, my vote is for Sue Bird.

I'd love to see Sue and Dee coach at UCONN but... IIRC Sue has said that Storrs is simply too small a town for her. I doubt she'd ever be tempted. At least not until she gets the big city blues out of her system!

 

[Alydar]

But (IMO) in order to benefit in recruiting from the UConn name and tradition, the new coach has to have a credible connection to it. And the new coach should have a name in women's basketball that recruits will recognize -- not the case with Rizzotti or Berube.

For these reasons and others, my vote is for Sue Bird.

I think Sue may have her eyes higher, like President.

 

[CL82]

It's not just Geno's salary. His assistants are among the highest paid. I'll bet his recruiting budget is among the highest. Tenn's budget decreased by a third when they hired Holly. There's a reason Tenn doesn't travel as much any more. Womens Basketball State used to have those numbers before they revamped their format.

Any school's wbb program is going to be driven by the coach. To think that players come to UConn because of the school is naive.

I guess. But wouldn’t it be equally naïve to say “Golly this happened in Tennessee therefore it must happen at Connecticut as well?”

 

[DaddyChoc]

I think UConn shouldn't limit their search to "family". Berube has had success at a lower level but can she recruit at the level needed? Not one UConn grad has gone on to coach at a major program. Berube is obviouly a great basketball coach but what about the rest of the baggage that comes with the job. The in-house candidates are unlikely to want to live and work in Ct for the next 20 years, and frankly, flying around the country/world 20-30 times a year to entice teenagers with large egos to attend UConn may not appeal to many of them.

are you speaking of Shea? she doesnt like flying around recruiting teenagers and Carla would? where has Shea been living for the last 20yrs (yeah I know she was at Pitt for a minute)

 

[DaddyChoc]

I disagree. The top jobs are Duke, Stanford and a few other large endowment private schools. I remember Geno being asked about leaving UConn. He said that at that point he wasn't going anywhere but he mentioned that if he was to go it would be to either Duke or Stanford. He said that when recruits visited he would just have them take a tour of the campus because the schools would do his recruiting for him. Perhaps he was only partially serious but he wasn't joking.
Anyone who thinks that UConn would give a new HC the same budget as Geno is nuts. The university (and the politicians in Hartford) know that he is one of the best ambassadors for UConn & Connecticut in existence. Same with Pat. Every politician in Tennessee wanted his/her picture taken with Pat, and she used that to get a huge budget.

and you think Geno wouldn't speak up to make sure the next coach gets quality compensation and facilities?

 

[DaddyChoc]

But (IMO) in order to benefit in recruiting from the UConn name and tradition, the new coach has to have a credible connection to it. And the new coach should have a name in women's basketball that recruits will recognize -- not the case with Rizzotti or Berube.

For these reasons and others, my vote is for Sue Bird.

you had me til you said Sue... Shea would be my selection!

 

[DaddyChoc]

Shea is sitting next to the GREATEST women's coach in basketball history and we think she's just sitting there twiddling her thumbs... I wonder if CD hadnt stated she's leaving when Geno leave would she qualify as the next coach due to her lack of HC experience smh

 

[RegisteredUconn]

I wouldn't be surprised if Carla Berube isn't interested in taking over for Geno. She's blazing her own trail.

Whoever takes over for Geno is going to be a disappointment to fans when they're compared to the ridiculous record he's amassed.

There are loads of other places for Carla to go from Princeton if and when she leaves: other top WBCC programs (with deep pockets and heightening focuses on women's sports, WCBB in particular), the WNBA, international professional programs.

I probably would have thought the same thing had I not gone to high school. We had a coach that lost a mere 17 times in 18 years. "Coach will be sorely missed," was the universal sentiment. However, Coach's successor lost just 6 times in 15 years. Coach wasn't missed nearly as much as expected.

 

[JoePgh]

you had me til you said Sue... Shea would be my selection!

Do you think that the average highly rated high school sophomore or junior will know who Shea Ralph is before she meets her? Didn't think so. But I guarantee she will know who Sue Bird is.

 

[ucbart]

Princeton crushed them in the 2nd half. Not sure how long Jen has been at GW (3 or so years?), but very soon she will be working with all kids she's recruited. She needs to pick it up a bit - had very limited success at Hartford. Did well early on, was pretty bad at the end. Needs to do better at GW if she has any shot at taking over for Geno IMHO...

I know Jen is family, but I don't want her anywhere near this program. She is at best, a mediocre coach and recruiter, and her teams can't score points. She is not a P5 coach, IMO.

 

[Alydar]

are you speaking of Shea? she doesnt like flying around recruiting teenagers and Carla would? where has Shea been living for the last 20yrs (yeah I know she was at Pitt for a minute)

Not talking about any one in particular.

 

[Alydar]

and you think Geno wouldn't speak up to make sure the next coach gets quality compensation and facilities?

I would hope the school would realize the benefit of it but I also worked in government for over 30 years and lots of poor decisions get made when politicians are running things. And don't for a second think that UConn isn't part of the government.

 

[pvdoggy]

I know Jen is family, but I don't want her anywhere near this program. She is at best, a mediocre coach and recruiter, and her teams can't score points. She is not a P5 coach, IMO.

I don't know if Jen is a P5 coach, but if she is a mediocre coach, I would not think she kept getting invited to be involved with USA basketball and the national team.

A member of seven previous USA Basketball coaching staffs and the 2011 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year, George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti was named on June 20, 2019, as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 USA Basketball Women's National Team through the 2020 Olympic Games.

Rizzotti served as an assistant coach to the 2018 USA World Cup Team that captured gold in Tenerife, Spain, and qualified the USA for the 2020 Olympics, and most recently was on the sideline as an assistant for the 2019 USA AmeriCup Team that captured the gold medal with a 6-0 mark in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

 

[Plebe]

Speaking of Jen, her team is struggling right now against Lehigh, currently down by 10 in 4Q.

George Washington at Lehigh - Stadium

watchstadium.com

 

[DaddyChoc]

I don't know if Jen is a P5 coach, but if she is a mediocre coach, I would not think she kept getting invited to be involved with USA basketball and the national team.

A member of seven previous USA Basketball coaching staffs and the 2011 USA Basketball National Coach of the Year, George Washington University head coach Jennifer Rizzotti was named on June 20, 2019, as an assistant coach for the 2019-20 USA Basketball Women's National Team through the 2020 Olympic Games.

Rizzotti served as an assistant coach to the 2018 USA World Cup Team that captured gold in Tenerife, Spain, and qualified the USA for the 2020 Olympics, and most recently was on the sideline as an assistant for the 2019 USA AmeriCup Team that captured the gold medal with a 6-0 mark in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

thanks to geno

 

[DaddyChoc]

Do you think that the average highly rated high school sophomore or junior will know who Shea Ralph is before she meets her? Didn't think so. But I guarantee she will know who Sue Bird is.

Shea is currently going to their High School games, Sue isn't! and doesnt Sue need some type of "coaching" experience first?

 

[DaddyChoc]

this Board is hard on Shea... its unbelievable. I wonder if Cardosa or Elliott would have been good replacements if they stayed around. They were "head" coaches so I think they would be just as qualified smh

 

[trisailin]

Recruiting to UConn is vastly different than recruiting to Illinois. The name alone will attract players

While that is true, the name alone doesn't seal the deal. Just look at the past couple of years EVEN WITH GENO. UCONN hasn't landed ALL the recruits to whom scholarships have been offered.

 

[DefenseBB]

It's not just Geno's salary. His assistants are among the highest paid. I'll bet his recruiting budget is among the highest. Tenn's budget decreased by a third when they hired Holly. There's a reason Tenn doesn't travel as much any more. Womens Basketball State used to have those numbers before they revamped their format.

Any school's wbb program is going to be driven by the coach. To think that players come to UConn because of the school is naive.

Not quite a truism. From a collegiate sports perspective, after a legendary coach leaves, there is usually an initial drop in the success of the program. However student athletes will still "flock" to that school due to the tradition and commitment they feel the school will continue to exhibit. Think about Alabama football, Kentucky basketball, Stanford swimming. The schools will continue to support their "flagship" sport. Whether they choose the right successive coach is a different issue. UCLA MCBB is starting to erode that good will/tradition if it does not get the right hire as this current generation doesn't know the UCLA tradition, let alone Wooden or Harrick. This generation does know UCONN and I bet most know Shea Ralph as she is easily recognizable and was a successful player herself. Dare I reference Tenn LV and all the top recruits Holly got from the name alone. Certainly not due to any coaching success-she neither won nor developed players, yet top recruits still flocked to Thomson-Boling Arena to play. UConn will enjoy that same initial success until the coach or the school clearly demonstrates abysmal performance. Some how, I don't see UConn NOT continuing it's support of it's "flagship" program. Humbly submitted DefenseBB.

 

[DefenseBB]

this Board is hard on Shea... its unbelievable. I wonder if Cardosa or Elliott would have been good replacements if they stayed around. They were "head" coaches so I think they would be just as qualified smh

I think this board is hard on Shea due to the lack of success of any of Geno's coaching tree, specifically, Jamelle, Tanya and Jen. The only one the board is "warm on" is Carla due to her success at Tufts. She must continue that success at Princeton where she has been given a strong set of players and strong administrative support. Why some great coaches don't have great coaching trees is a mystery-Belichek is one that doesn't. MM however, does. It could be many factors or just a small sample size. I worry about turning over the "crown jewel" of WCBB to any assistant as I want a proven winner who knows how to recruit, coach and win. This should be job all coaches should be aspiring to. The lone downside is following the "Legend". In the end, Geno will have a much a say as the AD as he has shown his passion for this program, much like Pat Summitt did for Tenn. Geno will not make the same blunder as Pat as none of his former players or assistants are as "dopey" as Holly.

 

[Alydar]

Not quite a truism. From a collegiate sports perspective, after a legendary coach leaves, there is usually an initial drop in the success of the program. However student athletes will still "flock" to that school due to the tradition and commitment they feel the school will continue to exhibit. Think about Alabama football, Kentucky basketball, Stanford swimming. The schools will continue to support their "flagship" sport. Whether they choose the right successive coach is a different issue. UCLA MCBB is starting to erode that good will/tradition if it does not get the right hire as this current generation doesn't know the UCLA tradition, let alone Wooden or Harrick. This generation does know UCONN and I bet most know Shea Ralph as she is easily recognizable and was a successful player herself. Dare I reference Tenn LV and all the top recruits Holly got from the name alone. Certainly not due to any coaching success-she neither won nor developed players, yet top recruits still flocked to Thomson-Boling Arena to play. UConn will enjoy that same initial success until the coach or the school clearly demonstrates abysmal performance. Some how, I don't see UConn NOT continuing it's support of it's "flagship" program. Humbly submitted DefenseBB.

If Holly is an example of a successor maintaining a great program then I have no reply.