Carolyn Peck as an Associate Head Coach?

[Patrick Lilly]

I don't get it. Why would Carolyn Peck take an associate head coach position? She's a past head coach with Florida and Purdue, won a national championship at the latter, was the general manager for the Orlando Miracle and has a very visible position as an analyst with ESPN. Associate head coach seems like a major step down. She loves the limelight and her prospects will be diminished along those lines. The only reason I can come up with is she and Stephanie White have a very strong relationship. Even if that is true, I am baffled.

 

[jdubct]

I don't get it. Why would Carolyn Peck take an associate head coach position? She's a past head coach with Florida and Purdue, won a national championship at the latter, was the general manager for the Orlando Miracle and has a very visible position as an analyst with ESPN. Associate head coach seems like a major step down. She loves the limelight and her prospects will be diminished along those lines. The only reason I can come up with is she and Stephanie White have a very strong relationship. Even if that is true, I am baffled.

Maybe she's being paid significantly more than she was at ESPN with the advantage of a longer term contract at Vanderbilt.

 

[Patrick Lilly]

Maybe she's being paid significantly more than she was at ESPN with the advantage of a longer term contract at Vanderbilt.

That is an interesting thought jdubct. Does anyone know what salaries look like for ESPN women's basketball analysts versus associate head coaches at major universities?

 

[Kibitzer]

Maybe - MAYBE - for just this once:

"It's not about the money."​

 

[CTrefugee]

If it were always about the money, Geno would be in the NBA. Top NBA coaches make 5-10 million.
It would not be a very good lifestyle and he would be fighting with his primadonnas constantly.
Think about how good he has it (and he knows it) and he has nothing more to prove.

 

[bags27]

And maybe she has her own lifestyle considerations, of place, nearness to friends and relatives, less travel, etc. Maybe she just wants to slow down and become a mentor to someone else, to pay back her sport. Her decision seems driven by values rather than by ambition.

 

[Patrick Lilly]

And maybe she has her own lifestyle considerations, of place, nearness to friends and relatives, less travel, etc. Maybe she just wants to slow down and become a mentor to someone else, to pay back her sport. Her decision seems driven by values rather than by ambition.

That would be powerful and I hope you are right.

 

[Orangutan]

Shot in the dark - Perhaps, she wanted to get back into coaching but good head coach offers were not forthcoming. If things go well at Vandy, that could be her ticket back into a P5 head coach job.

 

[ctwcbb]

Perhaps the fact that Peck's alma mater is Vanderbilt has also played a part in her decision here.

 

[Vowelguy]

She coached Stephanie White at Purdue, so I'm sure they have a good, perhaps even very close, relationship. White correctly realized that she need a a strong assistant coach to help get things going given her Indiana job. Peck is not only someone White trusts, but knows Vanderbilt. And if someone you are close with calls and asks you to help her out, you are more likely to do it.

Also maybe Peck thinks White is a phenom, and thus is the opportunity to be part of something great.

Or as already stated, she's interested in getting back into coaching, but with lackluster tenures at Orlando & Florida, no good opportunities are available.

 

[Dillon77]

She coached Stephanie White at Purdue, so I'm sure they have a good, perhaps even very close, relationship. White correctly realized that she need a a strong assistant coach to help get things going given her Indiana job. Peck is not only someone White trusts, but knows Vanderbilt. And if someone you are close with calls and asks you to help her out, you are more likely to do it.

Also maybe Peck thinks White is a phenom, and thus is the opportunity to be part of something great.

Or as already stated, she's interested in getting back into coaching, but with lackluster tenures at Orlando & Florida, no good opportunities are available.

Like the build on this. Seems like this could be a quid pro quo in the best sense of the world for all involved -- White, Peck and Vandy.

 

[Monte]

Shot in the dark - Perhaps, she wanted to get back into coaching but good head coach offers were not forthcoming. If things go well at Vandy, that could be her ticket back into a P5 head coach job.

She is probably grooming herself to take Geno's place.

 

[CL82]

If it were always about the money, Geno would be in the NBA. Top NBA coaches make 5-10 million.
It would not be a very good lifestyle and he would be fighting with his primadonnas constantly.
Think about how good he has it (and he knows it) and he has nothing more to prove.

If Geno were offered a head coaching gig in the NBA, he'd be gone. If he were offered an assistant coaching gig, he'd probably leave as well.

JMHO

 

[CL82]

She is probably grooming herself to take Geno's place.

Oh...god...no...

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

She is probably grooming herself to take Geno's place.

HAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAhahhahhahahhahahhaaaaa........hehehee....heee.....

No.

I like Coach Peck a lot. So many Boneyarders don't, but I do. I respect her knowledge, experience, and insight. That said, I'm hoping that, sometime in the not very near future, UConn promotes from within.

 

[Beemer]

Anything to get Peck out of her ESPN gig is fine with me, she always made my ears bleed.....

 

[Boreifs]

Because of the unusual circumstances of the hire, she might have agreed to do it for one or two years as a favor to her most successful former player and to her alma mater. Personally, I think she is a very good analyst who seems to be vilified here by a minority of posters who insist on prolonging a rather juvenile rivalry with anything or anyone associated with Tennessee. Incidentally, Stephanie White is also a terrific analyst; what will be great for Vanderbilt will be a double loss for the women's NCAA TV audience.

 

[Blueballer]

Because of the unusual circumstances of the hire, she might have agreed to do it for one or two years as a favor to her most successful former player and to her alma mater. Personally, I think she is a very good analyst who seems to be vilified here by a minority of posters who insist on prolonging a rather juvenile rivalry with anything or anyone associated with Tennessee. Incidentally, Stephanie White is also a terrific analyst; what will be great for Vanderbilt will be a double loss for the women's NCAA TV audience.

I thought she was a terrible broadcaster long before I knew she used to coach at TENN. She rambles on and is a brutal homer for anybody in the SEC. Not biased at all. Good riddance.

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

If Geno were offered a head coaching gig in the NBA, he's be gone. If he were offered an assistant coaching gig, he'd probably leave as well.

JMHO

CL82...someone has hacked your BoneYard account and posted this nonsense in your name!!!

 

[CCinCT]

I thought she was a terrible broadcaster long before I knew she used to coach at TENN. She rambles on and is a brutal homer for anybody in the SEC. Not biased at all. Good riddance.

+1 - And her orange shaded bias bled through on a lot of her commentary

 

[CL82]

CL82...someone has hacked your BoneYard account and posted this nonsense in your name!!!

Lol, He's said as much a few times. The one that comes to mind is the Centerstage interview. He'd be challenged to adapt to new circumstances (NBA athleticism, and dealing with male pros) and he'd be well compensated. I think it would speak to Geno's need to test himself.

 

[j66kicker]

I thought she was a terrible broadcaster long before I knew she used to coach at TENN. She rambles on and is a brutal homer for anybody in the SEC. Not biased at all. Good riddance.

Totally agree. Really don't think it's our anti-Tennessee bias. I think TN alum Kara Lawson is a great analyst, even though I admittedly "hate" Tennessee. Unfortunately, I suspect the "riddance" will be temporary - can't see her being an assistant any longer than this one season, when her alma mater and former star player need help starting things up before the end of the WNBA season.

 

[Dillon77]

I don't know if anyone saw this and/or if it's worth a solitary thread, but Lin Dunn -- mentor of Steph White, former Purdue Coach and ace tweeter, just joined the Kentucky Wildcats. What's next for those former Boilermakers? Nell Fortner at Duke?
So this is how Coach Mitchell is rebuilding...this has been some wacky offseason....


Veteran coach Dunn joins Kentucky as assistant

 

[SCGamecock]

That is an interesting thought jdubct. Does anyone know what salaries look like for ESPN women's basketball analysts versus associate head coaches at major universities?

It varies from person to person.. everybody negotiates their contract but it's not as lucrative as you would think.