Geno's logical successor | The Boneyard

Geno's logical successor

Status
Not open for further replies.
boontonbomber

boontonbomber

Joined
Aug 26, 2011
Messages
2,249
Reaction Score
6,562
is sitting on the bench. She is 5 years younger. Unfortunately, she has said she will retire when he does. But wouldn't that be an exciting transition. Maybe she would stay on and work with somebody who would take over in a couple of years. Better mentor than Geno would be.
 
ScottCT said:
Our successor is doing great at Vanderbilt right now.
Expand ...
Do you think kids are coming from all over the world to play for Shea Ralph? Absent strong financial backing (that I'm not sure is there) I'm skeptical that she has the name recognition and charisma to pull it off. I think she could likely do a good job of turning post-Geno UConn into a better version of post-Pat Tennessee, but does that meet the expectations?
 
boontonbomber said:
is sitting on the bench. She is 5 years younger. Unfortunately, she has said she will retire when he does. But wouldn't that be an exciting transition. Maybe she would stay on and work with somebody who would take over in a couple of years. Better mentor than Geno would be.
Expand ...
Why?

Also, if the successor to Geno needs mentoring, then UConn picked the wrong successor.
 
.-.
ec33 said:
Do you think kids are coming from all over the world to play for Shea Ralph? Absent strong financial backing (that I'm not sure is there) I'm skeptical that she has the name recognition and charisma to pull it off. I think she could likely do a good job of turning post-Geno UConn into a better version of post-Pat Tennessee, but does that meet the expectations?
Expand ...
What UConn coach would players from all over the world want to play for after Geno retires?
 
Succeeding Geno will be the worst job in the country. I can hear the comments already: You can't win enough. You can't recruit right. You can't manage a game correctly. Do the kids even look at you the same way? I'd stick with Vandy and wait for the job to come around the second time. Or stay at Vandy and enjoy the job without the same pressure.
 
Dogdude said:
Succeeding Geno will be the worst job in the country. I can hear the comments already: You can't win enough. You can't recruit right. You can't manage a game correctly. Do the kids even look at you the same way? I'd stick with Vandy and wait for the job to come around the second time. Or stay at Vandy and enjoy the job without the same pressure.
Expand ...
I agree that the UConn job comes with all kinds of pitfalls and pressures, but many great coaches love that next challenge, especially when it involves their own storied alma mater......
 
My take:
If Geno & CD retired while Shea Was at UConn she might have taken the job if offered.

Leave Vanderbilt after 5-7 years building her program . . . Seriously believe this is highly unlikely. Mean very very very unlikely.

How many years has Vanderbilt had a start like this year? 20-30 seasons ago? Shea is setting her records & history not picking up the mantle for someone else.
 
.-.
Cornell Lt said:
Just think what Carla Berube can do with a roster filled with MacDonalds all Americans
Expand ...

Having thought about it, I think no.

Elite recruiting prowess is the first, second and third most important attribute for a FF-level head coach. While Carla has a great won-loss record at DIII Tufts and in the no-athletic-scholarships Ivy League, she has never been within a recruiting light year of a McDonald's All-American level player. The UConn AD knows this.

Moreover, Carla has a high paying job, in a dominant league program, on a beautiful campus, at one of the richest universities in the world—a lifetime sinecure. Why would she risk all that?
 
Charliebball said:
What UConn coach would players from all over the world want to play for after Geno retires?
Expand ...
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.
 
JoePgh said:
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.
Expand ...
100% Did you see my posts about Sue being the choice? Same reasons.
Somebody said she didn't have any coaching experience. Huh? Wasn't there a folktale about Geno telling Sue at one point of a season, that anything that happened was her fault. She lived that life for 30 years. Point guard, leader, icon, heck she's got a statue.
 
JoePgh said:
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.
Expand ...
I could be wrong, but when asked, I believe she's said that she's not interested in coaching..........same goes for Taurasi......
 
.-.
I was watching the Big East energy podcast and this topic was brought up recently. Tee Baker (LOVE that guy) chimed in and his logic made a lot of sense to me: Perhaps the next UConn coach should be the best candidate OUTSIDE the Geno tree (unlike the situation with Coach Warlick and later Coach Harper). This way, if expectations are not met, there will be be no emotional factor in the decision to part ways quickly if things aren’t held to the highest standard. And then maybe a little bit afterwards, you can choose from the tree.

Or you do like Nebraska did with Volleyball and strike while it’s hot and choose the best, young candidate who is also an alumnus lol
 
ec33 said:
Do you think kids are coming from all over the world to play for Shea Ralph? Absent strong financial backing (that I'm not sure is there) I'm skeptical that she has the name recognition and charisma to pull it off. I think she could likely do a good job of turning post-Geno UConn into a better version of post-Pat Tennessee, but does that meet the expectations?
Expand ...
Believe me, there would be no comparison between a Shea Ralph led UConn and any post Pat Summit Tennessee era! As for the recruiting, there might be a temporary decline in some aspects of our recruiting but Shea’s teams would win big right away and once that became evident, recruiting would not be a problem.

I wouldn’t say there would be no long term drop-off, it would be silly to think anyone could simply maintain what is undoubtedly the greatest recruiting program in the history of Women’s basketball. I do believe however, that Shea would be able to recruit at an elite level right away and perhaps, in the fullness of time, return the recruiting to a level that approximated that under Geno and CD.
 
.-.
VaConnFan11 said:
I don't think so. She is building Vanderbilt up from nothing exactly the same way Geno did with UConn. I don't think she will leave what she has built, to take over what someone else has.
Expand ...
You could well be right. Nevertheless, Shea should be the first choice to take over a post Geno (and CD) UConn program! If (Say it ain’t so) Shea turned us down then you go after the best available! My list (in no particular order) would include Carla Berube, Jeff Walz, Molly Miller, and Mark Campbell. Now I know very little about any of these coaches beyond that they are all successful coaches and seem to be very knowledgeable about the game. Obviously, there should be a vetting process for whomever was chosen. Clearly, Jeff and Carla have shown themselves to be quality coaches with great and extended success with their respective programs. The other two are simply two coaches that I have followed and who, in my estimation show great promise. Finally, (brace for incoming) I just don’t see giving the reins to the greatest Women’s program in history to someone, anyone, who has never coached a game in their lives!
 
Charliebball said:
I could be wrong, but when asked, I believe she's said that she's not interested in coaching..........same goes for Taurasi......
Expand ...
Don't take that as the last word. With an appropriate monetary offer, a good sales job about the resources that she would have available, and by appealing to her pride in her alma mater and the success of its WBB program, I think she could be persuaded. There is no more potentially influential position in the whole world of women's basketball (college and pro) than what UConn can offer if it is so inclined.
 
Charliebball said:
What UConn coach would players from all over the world want to play for after Geno retires?
Expand ...
When that bridge is ready to crossed, whatever big name former UConn great willing to take on the task would have the best shot at it.
 
Ok, here's the successor. Flannery at Creighton. UConn should not hire any graduate or insider; it wouldn't do them justice and put favorite former players in a losing position.
 
.-.
Status
Not open for further replies.

Forum statistics

Threads
168,401
Messages
4,571,138
Members
10,476
Latest member
CT1998


Top Bottom