Geno's Retirement: Succession and a Game Plan

[BroadwayVa]

I love DT and Sue. Certainly, they both understand the continuum of greatness that is UConn WBB and would be honored to carry the torch.

The problem is that you can't inherit a program like UConn with no prior coaching experience. It just isn't viable.

Really, the only possibility is for them to join a coaching staff prior to becoming HCs. They could do something as assistants while there is nothing at UConn in terms of HC positions. If CD, Shea, and MM, are still around when Geno retires, the succession could be some combo of the current assistant staff along with DT and/or Sue if they have the experience by then and the desire.

Bottom line, this is going to be really hard. Holly Warlick was really the only option Tennessee had after Pat retired, and I would have thought others would have been beating down the door to take the job on. Instead, Holly was the only choice. Will UConn have many choices to succeed the best coach in North American sport? Time will tell.

I'll take these in reverse order: The only argument is with the Holly statement--UTenn had many choices including hiring away from Uconn--but internally they only had ONE choice (not a great one as it turns out).
I could argue FOR you that Holly was the ONLY choice--I understand the reason. However once Pat showed a destroyed brain--they could have looked elsewhere.

All the arguments for Dee or Sue or any player without Div 1 coaching experience --if those players were given the Uconn job--they'd be complaining loudly the year after all of those Recruited by and trained by Geno departed the program. Coaching is a lot more than knowing HOW to play the game. I'll leave that to Bags and Alexgct to explain. An often repeated story is about the West Point Swimming coach (champion maker) who could not swim a stroke himself. Point is --he knew how to coach and recruit.

 

[iamcbs]

UCLA Men's BB Team wandered in the wilderness for years after John Wooden retired, because they couldn't lure Denny Crum from Louisville. Replacing Geno will be an extremely difficult task for whomever gets the job; see Holly Warlick at Tennessee. Sports is replete with great coaches leaving and dynasties crumbling. It will forever be thus, live in the moment.

 

[Vowelguy]

CD ruled herself out. She's similar in age to Geno anyway.

When did she rule herself out?

 

[BroadwayVa]

Sorry to be a contrarian on this, but I fear for UConn diehards that neither hope will be realized. No coach walks away voluntarily when there is a realistic opportunity for another great season. They just don't hand their successors a national championship. No one did it for Geno, and whoever succeeds him should earn theirs. And everyone, frankly, is better off--and I am confident Geno knows this--if the coach fully retires and spends most of basketball season golfing in Florida. Sure, he might be a "goodwill ambassador" for the team and for UConn (I believe that a large part of his salary even now is officially for that), but the further he stays away from Werth, the better for everyone, especially his successor.

I think Geno either said or strongly implied he stay as long as it was fun. Geno has in the past considered a team of coach-able players fun--national champion not withstanding. Your point was well made that no coach walks away from an almost certain National Championship --for a lot of reason , ego and NCAA Championship money!!
I've said this in another thread---Geno shall stay at UConn, into his 80's is possible, as long as it's fun and recruits keep coming. .
Geno is a FAMILY man--and Uconn kids are his family--so if he leave the reigns to Shea I'm willing to bet she could get a ready to play prime time team from Geno--that's the kind of guy he is. Most other coach are just as you predict.

One of the worst things for a coach, like Calhoun, is to hang around and look over the shoulder of their successor.The fans/public would have little respect for the new coach or believe any success es are because of the old coach or losses are because the new guy wouldn't listen to the mentor..

 

[BroadwayVa]

what is this 'geno's retirement' that you speak of? i don't think that's a real thing.

Unlike the certainties of life: Geno can't /won't retire--EVER. He'll be winning NC's with the pundits saying "GENO's winning is bad for the WBB game"--even in 2414.

 

[BroadwayVa]

In his 2nd year, right? You and triadukefan (above) make a good point: I stand corrected. But I'm not sure it's such a "gift", since it was "someone else's team" and now the expectations are very high. Like when Tubby Smith inherited a great Kentucky team when Pitino went to the Celtics, and Smith won it all the first year, but it was gradually downhill after that.

Kevin Ollie got a team sanctioned --heavily--by the NCAA --which restricted post season which restricted recruiting--and precipitate an exodus of top level players --Ollies hiring was not for the exact reasons as Geno retirement. I seriously doubt any Geno's teams shall be sanctioned to the point Ollie received the Uconn men's team.

 

[mdakota]

Until he announces his retirement, there isn't much to discuss... Unless some of you are psychic

 

[BigBird]

The 7003rd Geno's retirement thread.

Balderdash! 7008. I checked the media guide.

 

[Vowelguy]

Until he announces his retirement, there isn't much to discuss...

Uhh, you do realize that sports message boards exist largely to speculate?

 

[VAUConnFan]

34 previous posts and not one black coach mentioned as a possible successor save Maya hanging around for a year or two. Understandably, we have our preferences, but let's open up the possibility.

 

[Kibitzer]

34 previous posts and not one black coach mentioned as a possible successor save Maya hanging around for a year or two. Understandably, we have our preferences, but let's open up the possibility.

Excellent point. The NFL's "Rooney Rule" is a model for leagues or conferences. The Rooney (Steelers) family persuaded the NFL (fellow owners) to adopt a policy that assured black coaches an interview opportunity when head coaching vacancies occurred.

"What goes around comes around." This policy may have had something to do with Mike Tomlin being interviewed. And hired.

 

[Duncan Idaho]

Duke's Coach K is 7-8 years older. Muffet is not much younger.

 

[JoePgh]

Sue Bird is the best choice. I know she has said that she doesn't want to coach, but if she had an opportunity to be the head coach of the #1 program in the country which is also her Alma Mater, I think she could be persuaded.

She has two assets that no one except maybe DT can match: she has seen and played basketball worldwide at every level, and she has instant name recognition with every plausible high school recruit. And she has great admiration from most of them.

The only thing that she lacks is NCAA coaching and recruiting experience, and assistant coaches can fill in that gap. And she is a quick study.

Shea does not have the WNBA, international, and Olympic experience that Sue has. She needs to go elsewhere and be successful as a head coach before she will be qualified to be a UConn head coach. The same applies to Marisa. And they both lack the name recognition and instant credibility with recruits that Sue would have.

 

[HardHatGuy#2]

Excellent point. The NFL's "Rooney Rule" is a model for leagues or conferences. The Rooney (Steelers) family persuaded the NFL (fellow owners) to adopt a policy that assured black coaches an interview opportunity when head coaching vacancies occurred.

"What goes around comes around." This policy may have had something to do with Mike Tomlin being interviewed. And hired.

Unfortunately, this has also lead to a bunch of candidates refusing to interview (Dennis Green being a multiple offender) as they didn't think they they had a "legitimate" chance at the job, thus holding teams hostage.

You can't legislate Morality.

 

[HoopsFan21]

When did she rule herself out?

When she was asked about Geno's retirement and possibly taking over for him. Her response at the time, which was a couple of years ago, left no room for interpretation as she said she's leaving when Geno leaves.

 

[Vowelguy]

Got a link?

 

[Kibitzer]

Sue Bird is the best choice. She has two assets that no one except maybe DT can match: she has seen and played basketball worldwide at every level, and she has instant name recognition with every plausible high school recruit. And she has great admiration from most of them.

The only thing that she lacks is NCAA coaching and recruiting experience, and assistant coaches can fill in that gap. And she is a quick study.

Shea does not have the WNBA, international, and Olympic experience that Sue has.

Geno's replacement will be hired to coach UConn in the NCAA, not WNBA or international competition. I believe Shea has by now honed her coaching skills (under the tutelage of the master) while making an enormous number of calls (by phone and in homes) to prospects and recruits.

Like the traveling salesman in "The Music Man" said:

"Ya gotta know the territory"
​

Shea knows the (recruiting and NCAA) territory.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

Being a great player such as, DT, Sue, etc. does not automatically mean they'll be a great coach!
It's very hard to coach players that aren't at YOUR talent level and expect them to catch on and perform at the Star's level!
Some of the best coaches, & managers are the average guy/girl who had to work hard for everything they achieved!
Look at Carla Berube, she was a better than average player that always took care of the little things and is a really good college coach today!
Look how many ex-catchers are now successful managers in MLB!

 

[jayfromfla]

Geno is not leaving until he reaches 1100 wins.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Geno is not leaving until he reaches 1100 wins.

Make it 1500 so we can be sure the record lasts.

 

[JoePgh]

Being a great player such as, DT, Sue, etc. does not automatically mean they'll be a great coach!
It's very hard to coach players that aren't at YOUR talent level and expect them to catch on and perform at the Star's level!
Some of the best coaches, & managers are the average guy/girl who had to work hard for everything they achieved!
Look at Carla Berube, she was a better than average player that always took care of the little things and is a really good college coach today!
Look how many ex-catchers are now successful managers in MLB!

Hopefully a large percentage of the players that UConn recruits will be at nearly the same level of talent as Sue and Diana. Certainly (we hope) they will believe that they are. And they will want to develop their game enough so that someday they can play at the WNBA / international level, maybe even the Olympic level for the very best of them.

I'm sure that a big factor in Kevin Ollie's recruiting success is his long experience in the NBA. Recruits believe that he can teach them to play at that level if they have the talent and work hard.

How many of those potential UConn WCBB players (Top 100 high school recruits) would recognize the names "Shea Ralph" or "Marisa Moseley" at this point? Probably very few. But I guarantee you that they will know who Sue and Diana are, and will probably be thrilled to be recruited by them. And, as with Ollie, they will believe that if Sue or DT says, "You need to do X, Y, and Z to get to a WNBA level", she will know what she is talking about.

 

[CocoHusky]

Hopefully a large percentage of the players that UConn recruits will be at nearly the same level of talent as Sue and Diana. Certainly (we hope) they will believe that they are. And they will want to develop their game enough so that someday they can play at the WNBA / international level, maybe even the Olympic level for the very best of them.

I'm sure that a big factor in Kevin Ollie's recruiting success is his long experience in the NBA. Recruits believe that he can teach them to play at that level if they have the talent and work hard.

How many of those potential UConn WCBB players (Top 100 high school recruits) would recognize the names "Shea Ralph" or "Marisa Moseley" at this point? Probably very few. But I guarantee you that they will know who Sue and Diana are, and will probably be thrilled to be recruited by them. And, as with Ollie, they will believe that if Sue or DT says, "You need to do X, Y, and Z to get to a WNBA level", she will know what she is talking about.

"I believe my game resembles Diana Taurasi because she is very explosive, she can shoot well and she is a leader on and off the court. "
Christyn Williams

http://www.wiseeyesports.com/2018s-...-williams-a-sweet-beast/#sthash.5vHo4Lhn.dpuf

 

[HopJim]

Until he announces his retirement, there isn't much to discuss... Unless some of you are psychic

Agree. Topic interesting but waste of time.
Living in Texas, one of the yearly "sporting events" is to see who can best position a false, usually negative rumor about the coach at another school. So and so is going to take a pro job, get fired, retire, etc. Texas, versus A&A, versus Baylor, etc. etc. etc. 99% are false and started by the competition.

 

[Kibitzer]

Agree. Topic interesting but waste of time.
Living in Texas, one of the yearly "sporting events" is to see who can best position a false, usually negative rumor about the coach at another school. So and so is going to take a pro job, get fired, retire, etc. Texas, versus A&A, versus Baylor, etc. etc. etc. 99% are false and started by the competition.

Here in Connecticut it is very different. Any speculation about prospective movement by coaches is extremely narrow and sharply focused.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

While Sue Bird has bought a home in Connecticut, it is to be close to "the Mothership" and the NYC area airports as well as her sister. Find one word uttered by Sue about an interest in coaching, I dare you.