Geno's logical successor

[Stagnant]

I am pretty sure I heard Geno talk about this before. And I think he said if he could get anyone it would be Jeff Walz. This is anecdotal. I am working off my memory here. And even if Geno liked Jeff Walz for the job in 2015; it doesn’t mean he likes him in 2025. But that is what I remember.

Another thing we have to consider. Some coaches with good jobs won’t leave those jobs for UConn. It’s not a power 4 job. And succeeding Geno will be a challenge plenty of people won’t want to pursue.

 

[dcheng021]

Dan Hurley seems like a natural choice. He knows the campus and wouldn’t have to relocate.

 

[schmendrick]

She's hiding in plain sight. Our own CD: HuskyNan.

 

[huskiemaniac]

There is one answer to that question: Sue Bird. She is a women's basketball celebrity, and thanks to her Olympic exposure, she has recognition around the planet-wide WBB world. That's why I think she is the best choice, above Shea and Carla.

Except she said she’s not interested in coaching…

 

[IndyMark]

Mark Campbell's recruiting and won-loss excellence at all his stops—Oregon State, Oregon, Sacramento State, TCU)—are fairly well known.

Less well known is that his wife, Ashley Smith Campbell, was a blond, pony-tailed point guard who played three years at Vanderbilt, before she transferred to U. Hawaii for her senior year and where she married Mark.

View attachment 115952

Here are some interesting things about Ashley Smith's basketball accolades and her wedding proposal, from THIS 2002 article.

She had a storybook career at Oregon City (Ore.) High under her father, Brad Smith, leading the Pioneers to three straight USA Today national titles, four Oregon Class 4A state crowns and a four-year record of 102-2. The Pioneers went 26-0 her junior and senior seasons, and had a 68-game winning streak.

[She was] the SEC assist leader as a [Vanderbilt] freshman in 1997-98. She also set an event record with 11 assists in 22 minutes in the NIKE/WBCA All-American high school game, taking only three seconds to dish out her first assist and 40 seconds for her second.

There's been some magical moments off the court as well. Last Dec. 20, Mark Campbell proposed on a beach in Waikiki with a message in a bottle.

He had burned brown paper to look like parchment, scripted a message in calligraphy that read in part, "Beware. If you're willing to take a risk, read the next page." Then he stuffed the paper into a bottle, buried it in the sand and, after a moonlight dinner picnic, steered Ashley toward the bottle.

"She said, 'Oh, my gosh, there's a note inside,'" he recalled. "I told her she should read it. The next page said, 'Will you marry me?' I got down on my knee, asked her and she said yes."

I like it.

Campbell's TCU contract expires in 2030; Geno's, in 2029.

Mark Campbell sounds like a home run hire!!

 

[Rowdy831]

UConn would be wise to go outside the family so to speak. No one is going to do what Geno has done and the landscape of college athletics is changing to who has the money gets the players. As good as all the coaches are out there at other schools following a legend is whole different kind of pressure. Look at Alabama football.

 

[Woof]

I am pretty sure I heard Geno talk about this before. And I think he said if he could get anyone it would be Jeff Walz. This is anecdotal. I am working off my memory here. And even if Geno liked Jeff Walz for the job in 2015; it doesn’t mean he likes him in 2025. But that is what I remember.

Another thing we have to consider. Some coaches with good jobs won’t leave those jobs for UConn. It’s not a power 4 job. And succeeding Geno will be a challenge plenty of people won’t want to pursue.

I guess we are doomed then. UConn sucks, Storrs sucks, the Big East sucks, following Geno sucks.

Why do some fans like to only see the negatives about their own team? UConn is THE job in women's basketball. Duke still lands great players long after coach K left because of the brand. Nothing compares to the UConn brand on the women's side. If you can coach and you can pick the right recruits, you WILL succeed at UConn. No one hates on Hurley because he isn't Calhoun. At least, not anymore.

If there is a "fit" issue, fine. But this other stuff just seems like defeatism.

 

[cgshuskie]

My thought is that replacing Geno will come from someone who is well tested and who, believe it or not, is from the UConn tree. My thought is Rizzoti, Janelle or Carla Berube. I think that there is good reasoning for either one. First of all, Janelle has been there for most or many of the championships and has D1 experience. Rizzoti would be great, has been a WNBA administrator and has D1 experience. Berube, coming from Princeton, has demonstrated an enlightened ability. My final thought is Rizzoti as the next coach. Rizzoti has the toughness of a Geno. She can recruit and had the pedigre.

 

[Tonyc]

Please please please UConn has a plan and we dont know what it is. After what happened at Tenn with Pat Summitt UConn is prepared. The girls come to play for Geno so I would guess there is a plan in place. Good chance Geno will cut back on his time and work more as a recruiter and player developer and have more free time.

 

[Charliebball]

Please please please UConn has a plan and we dont know what it is. After what happened at Tenn with Pat Summitt UConn is prepared. The girls come to play for Geno so I would guess there is a plan in place. Good chance Geno will cut back on his time and work more as a recruiter and player developer and have more free time.

I think the plan went into effect long ago.........Geno has been cloned and the Geno clone is simply waiting in the wings for the real Geno to finally retire........according to those in the know, the Geno clone has the same hairline, same grumpy temperament but strangely prefers California red wines over Italian reds..........that's an issue........

 

[Woof]

I agree with those who said Mark Campbell. The guy has had great success everywhere he has been. It can't be coincidence.

I love Shea and Carla. I also love how some people think the UConn job sucks compared to Princeton and Vanderbilt. Really? I think it is the opposite. And, yeah, they could both recruit here. Duke's men's team is still pulling in kids who "have dreamed of playing for Duke" since they were newborns.

I think the head coach needs to have an "edge" to them. The associate head coach needs to nurture. I think Shea as head coach and Carla as associate would be optimal. But leaving Princeton for the #2 seat is far less likely. As for Shea, the husband thing is a potential problem.

A crazy, low probability, option is Brad Stevens. I personally think he is perfect for the women's game. And he has daughters. No idea if they are UConn material but, if so, even as walk ons, he could coach his daughters. That isn't much but I will hold onto it.

I am leaning toward Mark Campbell with a former player as an associate head coach. But who...

I thought about it and came up with some names for Associate Head Coach if we get Mark Campbell.

1. Rebecca Lobo
2. Jen Rizzotti
3. Tina Charles
4. Jamelle Elliott
5. Ashja Jones
6. Nykesha Sales
7. Maya Moore
8. Tamika Williams

 

[Dogdude]

I think the plan went into effect long ago.........Geno has been cloned and the Geno clone is simply waiting in the wings for the real Geno to finally retire........according to those in the know, the Geno clone has the same hairline, same grumpy temperament but strangely prefers California red wines over Italian reds..........that's an issue........

Like OMG...I actually think the guy coaching now is Geno's clone. I mean, doesn't he seem more pleasant in some ways? The real Geno has bought a small vineyard in Tuscany, living the good life.

 

[Woof]

Another name for head coach or associate head coach is Carly Thibault-DuBois. I would prefer her as the associate HC if we could get Campbell but, if we can't get Campbell, she should be in consideration but only if Shea and Carla also say no.

 

[IndyMark]

Another name for head coach or associate head coach is Carly Thibault-DuBois. I would prefer her as the associate HC if we could get Campbell but, if we can't get Campbell, she should be in consideration but only if Shea and Carla also say no.

Back up the brinks truck to get Mark Campbell. I would like to see Coach Valley retained to keep continuity. I would love see the current staff be retained but the new coach will be in their own staff.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Mark Campbell has a career .712 winning percentage, that is not exactly gonna cut it at UConn.

 

[Woof]

Mark Campbell has a career .712 winning percentage, that is not exactly gonna cut it at UConn.

Well, heck, one number with zero context certainly has ME convinced.

His winning percentage at TCU is .789. Also, Geno's winning percentage over his first four years was .598. It was .643 after 5 years.

 

[Woof]

Back up the brinks truck to get Mark Campbell. I would like to see Coach Valley retained to keep continuity. I would love see the current staff be retained but the new coach will be in their own staff.

I think Geno gets paid pretty well and there are lots of endorsements to be had as the UConn Women's Coach, thanks to Geno. We can pay him.

I would like to see the associate head coach be a former player but, really, he should bring in whoever he thinks he needs.

 

[visitingcock]

Well, heck, one number with zero context certainly has ME convinced.

His winning percentage at TCU is .789. Also, Geno's winning percentage over his first four years was .598. It was .643 after 5 years.

And Campbell has that record from taking over three separate bad programs and turning them all around in his second year. He had to hold tryouts among the student body for his first team at TCU in order to put as team on the court

 

[uconnfan68]

My only guarantee is that this thread won’t age well.

 

[Ct Dog]

There is one answer to that question: Sue Bird. She is a women's basketball celebrity, and thanks to her Olympic exposure, she has recognition around the planet-wide WBB world. That's why I think she is the best choice, above Shea and Carla.

I’ll go with Shea or Carla in a heartbeat over Sue Bird.

 

[Dillon77]

Too old. He's 60 now.



I'm not aware that Carla Berube has ever recruited a high school All-American at DIII Tufts or, since 2019, at DI Princeton.

Bella Alarie and Abby Meyers were both recruited by Courtney Banghart, before Carla. Neither were high school All-Americans.

Kaitlyn Chen was initially recruited by and took her official visit to Princeton under Banghart. Carla convinced Chen to stick with Princeton after Banghart departed to UNC. (See HERE.) Regardless of who recruited her, Chen, ranked #66 in the 2020 high school class, was not a high school All-American.

I'd be interested in knowing what high school All-Americans you claim Carla has ever recruited.

My view is that Geno's successor should be a coach who has demonstrated a consistent ability to recruit players who will be college All-Americans and who has a proven elite won-loss record in high level D1 competition. Shea Ralph will probably meet those criteria when Geno retires, probably in 2028-29. However, I doubt that she would leave a successful program she has resurrected from the dead at a premiere university in one of America's most desirable cities to follow a deity in Storrs.

[Begin fantasy:] Alternatively, I think a UConn alum with no coaching experience but a gravitationally attractive reputation and personality, such as Diana Taurasi or Sue Bird, might be a reasonable risk. (Kara Lawson, with neither, is doing okay at Duke.) How about both Diana and Sue, one being an assistant? Offer them Geno's $4 million a year and change their minds about coaching. Maybe Maya as an assistant, too. I don't think she's rolling in dough. Hire some very experienced D1 coach to be associate head coach, who knows what to do, so the famous names can concentrate on recruiting. [End fantasy]

Hey. Jersey guy here who used to hit the GSP and Turnpike to watch HS contests. I'd say the best player that Carla recruited
is Madison St. Rose. Here are a few of her pre-Princeton honors:

Before Princeton:
St. John Vianney: Ranked No. 46 in the in the ESPNW Rankings for Class of 2022 … Three-time captain who is the school's second all-time leading scorer with 1,747 points … NJ Gatorade Player of the Year … Two-time NJ Max Prep Player of the Year … McDonald's All-American nominee … 2022 MaxPrep Third-Team All-American … The first player to ever be named Three-time NJ.com Player of the Year

One player, obviously, does not make a roster, but wanted to point St. Rose out.

 

[Vancat]

I’ll go with Shea or Carla in a heartbeat over Sue Bird.

so would Sue Bird.

 

[Dillon77]

Big no on Gottlieb........Barnes Arico has done well over the years with less than stellar talent....

And she's now doing well with very good talent, as you probably saw in the latest Michigan vs. UConn game. Olivia Olsen and the elder Swords sister (on Canadian Olympic team) are top-flight talent. On top of that, Barnes-Arrico is a metro NYC girl with very strong ties to Long Island (think LI Lutheran) and New Jersey. (One of her stops before Ann Arbor was St. John's).

 

[Dillon77]

I am pretty sure I heard Geno talk about this before. And I think he said if he could get anyone it would be Jeff Walz. This is anecdotal. I am working off my memory here. And even if Geno liked Jeff Walz for the job in 2015; it doesn’t mean he likes him in 2025. But that is what I remember.

Another thing we have to consider. Some coaches with good jobs won’t leave those jobs for UConn. It’s not a power 4 job. And succeeding Geno will be a challenge plenty of people won’t want to pursue.

I seem to recall that, as well. And looking through the various posts, Walz was one of the two non UConn names that came to mind.
He recruits top talent, whether from high school or via the portal and while he's got a preferred style, he can adapt it to his players. I think that's one reason why he's remarkably consistent. Given that I've seen him twice a year play against my rooting interest, I'm respectful of what he does year-in, year-out.

Plus, I don't think he'd shirk from the challenge of succeeding Geno, which is no small thing. He's driven.
Lots of SEC teams have shown interest in prying him out of Louisville, but he hasn't budged. Would he miss being at a P4 school? Maybe, but working with the UConn brand and his own style might be more than good enough.

My other thought is Kim Barnes Arrico, a Jersey-Long Island girl who went from St. John's to Michigan, working well with lesser talent before landing WNBA talent more recently. Olivia Olson and the elder Swords are terrific players

 

[CL82]

My only guarantee is that this thread won’t age well.

Can't help, but notice this thread is being bumped by fans of other programs (well, and me, just now). @HuskyNan, maybe five pages of speculation on who who will replace our coach, who hasn't announced his retirement, in the middle of the season, is enough? If so, consider locking this thread.

We don't allow player transfer speculation on the site. Maybe we need to extend that to Coach retirement speculation, at least during the season?

 

[Skeets]

There will be a problem. Geno is a GOAT coach with national and international name recognition. Lots of luck trying to find that combination in a successor.

CD if she doesn't leave with Geno (she is undefeated), but outside the UConn world she probably doesn't have the same level of name recognition. Perhaps Geno could say on in some sort of semi-retired position, perhaps head recruiter.

Shea and Carla may not want to leave. Could the state of CT cough up enough money to make one of them an offer that they can't refuse? Both have a good HC resume.

Bird and Taurasi have the name recognition, but no coaching experience. Plus, neither seems interested in coaching.

I think Lobo is a real long shot. No to Rizzotti, she doesn't have a good enough track record.

If you can't get a real great coach with real great name recognition, you might as well get the best coach. Mark Campbell? At least the front of the uniform will still say "UConn" and that is worth something.