Great article on Shea at Vanderbilt and the advice Geno gave

[eebmg]

Really great article about Shea getting the Vandy job and the important advice and perspective Geno has about it

How Geno Auriemma cut down Vanderbilt football to sell job to Shea Ralph (tennessean.com)

Also alot of historical perspective in how we finally put the nail in Vandy after beating Stanford and Vandy for Sue Bird,

 

[warbler1055]

Shea knows what she must do. Here hoping she will get all the pieces in place and start a successful HC career. Recruiting is always a challenge. But winning is the final measuring score.

 

[bluedevil]

Shea knows what she must do. Here hoping she will get all the pieces in place and start a successful HC career. Recruiting is always a challenge. But winning is the final measuring score.

Many try few succeed.

 

[CL82]

“I love coming to Nashville,” Auriemma said. “If you pick up the phone and call me, then I’ll make sure we get a game. We’ll come down there and help you and sell out the place, but only when you feel like you’re ready to do that.”

 

[huskyd]

You may remember during last season's NCAA tourney the seemingly sudden disappearance of Shea along with rumors about why she wasn't present. Once she failed to join the team in its sequester, we knew she couldn't re-enter the bubble. It's likely that this Vandy business was going on behind the scenes, and it seems to have turned out that way.
There has been speculation for years about who would replace Geno when he chooses to leave. Shea was often at the head of that list. Perhaps her stay at Vandy will be preparation for head coaching experience pending a return to Storrs; who knows? It's hard to imagine that she'd go anywhere for just a short time. Surely she's committed to building a program; that will take time--probably a lot of time.
So: good luck, Shea. Hope what you learned here will stand you in good stead.

 

[hoopsfan22]

You may remember during last season's NCAA tourney the seemingly sudden disappearance of Shea along with rumors about why she wasn't present. Once she failed to join the team in its sequester, we knew she couldn't re-enter the bubble. It's likely that this Vandy business was going on behind the scenes, and it seems to have turned out that way.
There has been speculation for years about who would replace Geno when he chooses to leave. Shea was often at the head of that list. Perhaps her stay at Vandy will be preparation for head coaching experience pending a return to Storrs; who knows? It's hard to imagine that she'd go anywhere for just a short time. Surely she's committed to building a program; that will take time--probably a lot of time.
So: good luck, Shea. Hope what you learned here will stand you in good stead.

Some on here "in the know" said this was not the case. It was just a coincidence in the end.

 

[Waquoit]

Some on here "in the know" said this was not the case. It was just a coincidence in the end.

And some said Geno was mad at Shea for taking the job.

 

[Mdoggie]

And some said Geno was mad at Shea for taking the job.

Who? What? Where? When? How? Show us or don’t say it. I

 

[Waquoit]

Who? What? Where? When? How? Show us or don’t say it. I

I know i read it here, I wouldn't make it up.

 

[Mdoggie]

I know i read it here, I wouldn't make it up.

Hmmm?

 

[JellyBean]

Great article indeed!! Thanks for sharing. Love the line from Geno about "loving Nashville and getting a match up going, only when you think they are ready" LOVE IT!! Always willing to help out a program and to grow the women's game. Hoping that Shea can get some solid players and those players want to compete and play hard for the program, the fans, and the coaching staff. Good luck, Coach Shea. Rooting for you and Coach Marisa.

 

[BobbyJ]

You may remember during last season's NCAA tourney the seemingly sudden disappearance of Shea along with rumors about why she wasn't present. Once she failed to join the team in its sequester, we knew she couldn't re-enter the bubble. It's likely that this Vandy business was going on behind the scenes, and it seems to have turned out that way.
There has been speculation for years about who would replace Geno when he chooses to leave. Shea was often at the head of that list. Perhaps her stay at Vandy will be preparation for head coaching experience pending a return to Storrs; who knows? It's hard to imagine that she'd go anywhere for just a short time. Surely she's committed to building a program; that will take time--probably a lot of time.
So: good luck, Shea. Hope what you learned here will stand you in good stead.

So you believe that considering Shea Ralph’s integrity and her loyalty to Auriemma, her school, and her team, that she would be negotiating a new job while UConn was preparing for their biggest games of the year? And that Vanderbilt would be slimy enough to approach a coach who’s team hasn’t ended it’s season yet? I don’t. I believe Auriemma stated that she was part of their tourney preparation via Zoom if I’m not mistaken.

 

[hoopsfan22]

So you believe that considering Shea Ralph’s integrity and her loyalty to Auriemma, her school, and her team, that she would be negotiating a new job while UConn was preparing for their biggest games of the year? And that Vanderbilt would be slimy enough to approach a coach who’s team hasn’t ended it’s season yet? I don’t. I believe Auriemma stated that she was part of their tourney preparation via Zoom if I’m not mistaken.

Vanderbilt was slimy enough to file a complaint over Geno's congratulatory phone call to 7th grade Little League player Mo'ne Davis for which he and the school were sanctioned by the NCAA, so I wouldn't put it past them.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Stop already. Geesh, things happen and I sure as hell don't know what went on when, but I'd never question Shea's loyalty to Geno or the program without some cold hard facts, none of which have been made available to date.

 

[MooseJaw]

Come on, both can be true. Shea was loyal to Geno and UCONN, and She was also going after the new job, imo. Why can both not be the case? It is done all the time, H.S. college and pro. I see no conflict or disloyalty and it appears Geno didn't either.

 

[Geew1992]

But didn't White get fired after the tournament ended???

 

[huskyd]

And some said Geno was mad at Shea for taking the job.

I've often wondered about the conversation that Geno (must have) had with Shea regarding the Vandy job. She'd been with UConn for 16 years: was she going to replace Coach when he decided to hang them up? That's the question I would have asked if I had to chance to leave: am I next? What might Geno have said? He apparently encouraged her to take the job, so was he, at the same time, saying don't count on anything here? Love to know, but I don't have people "in the know," so I'm at a disadvantage.

 

[MooseJaw]

But didn't White get fired after the tournament ended???

It was announced after the tourney, but to think that it wasn't in the works before that doesn't pass the smell test. It was almost like on Monday goodbye White on Tuesday hello Shea. I can't say with absolute certainty however I think common sense dictates that contact, and mutual interest was established before White was dismissed.

 

[Zanzman]

Vanderbilt was slimy enough to file a complaint over Geno's congratulatory phone call to 7th grade Little League player Mo'ne Davis for which he and the school were sanctioned by the NCAA, so I wouldn't put it past them.

Ad and coach are long gone

 

[JoePgh]

I've often wondered about the conversation that Geno (must have) had with Shea regarding the Vandy job. She'd been with UConn for 16 years: was she going to replace Coach when he decided to hang them up? That's the question I would have asked if I had to chance to leave: am I next? What might Geno have said? He apparently encouraged her to take the job, so was he, at the same time, saying don't count on anything here? Love to know, but I don't have people "in the know," so I'm at a disadvantage.

I would bet that Geno told her that her credentials to succeed him will be much stronger if she establishes a successful track record as a head coach before the UConn job becomes open.

Absent such a track record, Shea's resume might well be deemed inferior to that of other candidates such as Sue Bird, Curt Miller, or Becky Hammon.

 

[huskyd]

I would bet that Geno told her that her credentials to succeed him will be much stronger if she establishes a successful track record as a head coach before the UConn job becomes open.

Absent such a track record, Shea's resume might well be deemed inferior to that of other candidates such as Sue Bird, Curt Miller, or Becky Hammon.

Excellent point, Joe. I mention this in my post. The kicker though is why would Vanderbilt hire someone to rebuild a program who is not committed to go the distance? UConn wasn't built in a day, and Vandy certainly won't be.
Hope someone "in the know" can provide an answer.

 

[JoePgh]

Excellent point, Joe. I mention this in my post. The kicker though is why would Vanderbilt hire someone to rebuild a program who is not committed to go the distance? UConn wasn't built in a day, and Vandy certainly won't be.
Hope someone "in the know" can provide an answer.

There are two possibilities:

1. Vanderbilt looked in its crystal ball and decided that Geno has 7 to 10 years remaining at UConn before Shea would have any decision to make. And that is as long a tenure as they can expect from any coach. If Shea stays even 5 years and is successful enough to be a leading candidate for the job in Storrs, Vanderbilt will have gotten its money's worth, far more than if they hired a less capable coach who was willing to make it a lifetime career.
2. Vanderbilt may have guessed that even if Shea is offered the job at UConn at some point, they can make it attractive enough to her to remain in Nashville. It's in a Power 5 conference, and she is a Southern girl, after all.

 

[Cuango]

I would bet that Geno told her that her credentials to succeed him will be much stronger if she establishes a successful track record as a head coach before the UConn job becomes open.

Absent such a track record, Shea's resume might well be deemed inferior to that of other candidates such as Sue Bird, Curt Miller, or Becky Hammon.

In my mind, there are two candidates (possibly three if Moseley is successful at Wisconsin over the next few years) that are prohibitive favorites to replace Geno. Those two are Shea Ralph and Carla Berube! I would say Carla is a slight favorite at this point pending Shea’s performance at Vanderbilt for the next five years. If Geno quit tomorrow (and I were in charge) I would be on the phone offering Berube immediately. Now, five years from now, depending upon Shea’s progress at Vandy, that might change. However, I have to say, I doubt it. I think Carla Berube is a truly outstanding coach and Shea, Marisa, or anyone else will have to be something special to beat her out as the top candidate to replace Geno. As for those who keep tossing Dee, Sue, Becky, Kara’s names around, I can only shake my head at those who would advocate hiring a former player with no coaching experience or (for that matter), an NBA assistant (with reportedly poor reviews from the Spurs players) with no college experience to take over the greatest Women’s program in the history of the game. I’ll wait to see how Kara does before commenting on her chances. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

 

[Cuango]

Excellent point, Joe. I mention this in my post. The kicker though is why would Vanderbilt hire someone to rebuild a program who is not committed to go the distance? UConn wasn't built in a day, and Vandy certainly won't be.
Hope someone "in the know" can provide an

I would bet that Geno told her that her credentials to succeed him will be much stronger if she establishes a successful track record as a head coach before the UConn job becomes open.

Absent such a track record, Shea's resume might well be deemed inferior to that of other candidates such as Sue Bird, Curt Miller, or Becky Hammon.

It is truly beyond me how Shea’s resume (today) could possibly be deemed inferior to Sue Bird’s? That is simply ludicrous! She spent 16 years learning her trade from the greatest women’s coach (some would leave “women’s” out) in history, (21-23 years, assuming she had stayed here til Geno retired) and her resume is less attractive than a former player who has never coached at all? Unbelievable! Having said that, I do agree that a successful tenure as a head coach will certainly enhance Shea’s resume.

 

[JoePgh]

Cuango says:

"It is truly beyond me how Shea’s resume (today) could possibly be deemed inferior to Sue Bird’s? That is simply ludicrous! She spent 16 years learning her trade from the greatest women’s coach (some would leave “women’s” out) in history, (21-23 years, assuming she had stayed here til Geno retired) and her resume is less attractive than a former player who has never coached at all?"

I have several responses to this:

1. Being a long-time assistant to Geno is not, based on history, a good predictor of success as a head coach. Jennifer Rizzotti, Tonya Cardoza, and Jamelle Eliot have been, at best, "OK" as head coaches. The only UConn product who has been unambiguously successful as a head coach has been Carla Berube, and she didn't spend a day as Geno's assistant. So Shea's long tenure as Geno's assistant is not a persuasive credential for her as a head coach.
2. Success in WCBB is all about recruiting (more than X's and O's or even player development more generally), and recruiting success is based largely on celebrity. That is not Shea's strong suit. If you took a survey among the Top 100 high school juniors and seniors today (or in any year), I would be surprised if 5 in 100 know who Shea is -- or maybe they know her only as Geno's assistant. But 95 in 100 will know who Sue Bird is and what she has accomplished in women's basketball, and will hold her in high esteem. That will be a big factor in her favor on the recruiting trail.
3. Sue has extraordinary experience at the WNBA, international, and Olympic levels of women's basketball, and now she even has some NBA experience with the Denver Nuggets. Shea has nothing to match that. It means that when Sue sits down with a top-level recruit whose ambition is to play in the WNBA and on the Olympic team, she can credibly say, "I know what you need to do to reach those goals." I don't think Shea would have the same credibility making that statement to a top high school player. And of course, Sue's experience at those levels has undoubtedly given her a comprehensive education in the technical side of basketball, beyond anything that Shea has had a chance to pick up.
4. Although Sue hasn't had a chance to be an official coach yet (because she is still playing at a high level at age 40), she has been a "coach on the floor" for Seattle and for the Olympic teams that she has played on. As with Kara Lawson, that experience should not be discounted -- especially because it was with such high-level players.

Having said all of that, I think that Curt Miller (the head coach of the very successful Connecticut Sun WNBA team) should be seriously considered as Geno's successor. He took a team that was in distress after Anne Donovan's tenure as coach and has made it into a perennial contender for the WNBA title. And his basketball philosophy seems to me to be very similar to Geno's.

 

[UConnCat]

Geno was interviewed in May and talked about Shea and the Vandy job. Here’s a summary of what he said which was posted on the board:

“Geno talks about Shea and Vandy at the end. Says Shea had been getting feelers throughout the season and the Vandy job opened up at the 11th hour and came as a surprise. (Perhaps White was expected to get one more year. So no, Shea missing the Final Four had nothing to do with the Vanderbilt job.) Not surprising that Shea became involved as she was when White was hired.”

 

[Staven]

Great article and press conference thanks for sharing. Shea is a class act and will do wonders for the Vanderbilt program.

 

[The CDR-Ret]

Great article indeed!! Thanks for sharing. Love the line from Geno about "loving Nashville and getting a match up going, only when you think they are ready" LOVE IT!! Always willing to help out a program and to grow the women's game. Hoping that Shea can get some solid players and those players want to compete and play hard for the program, the fans, and the coaching staff. Good luck, Coach Shea. Rooting for you and Coach Marisa.

I am glad Shea did not put a time frame on the turn around, as she is inheriting a team who ended the season on a three game losing streak to go to 4-4, and then cancelled the rest of the season. No shame in losing to SC and UK, but losing by 24 to Alabama hurts only a little as 'Bama ended 8-8 in the SEC, but they were 17-10 for the year, and beat UNC 80-71 in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney.

As to S. White, she took over a team that was 11th in the SEC and then was never higher than 12th in the SEC and finished last once to achieve a 13-55 SEC record, and 46-83 overall adter coaching the Indiana Fever for two years (after being Asst Coach for four years), getting them to the finals (2015 in her 1st year), and Champions as an assistant. She was the NPOY at Purdue in 1999, but was only taken i the second round of the WNBA (Charlotte). I wish her success in her future endeavors, as her experience at Vandy does not reflect her previous successes.

From the article, and the embedded video, I am encouraged that the leadership at Vandy is FULLY supporting Shea, and I am rooting for her, her picks for her staff, her family, and her team to have great success against all opponents except the Huskies of course...

 

[baggerbob]

I am glad Shea did not put a time frame on the turn around, as she is inheriting a team who ended the season on a three game losing streak to go to 4-4, and then cancelled the rest of the season. No shame in losing to SC and UK, but losing by 24 to Alabama hurts only a little as 'Bama ended 8-8 in the SEC, but they were 17-10 for the year, and beat UNC 80-71 in the 1st round of the NCAA tourney.

As to S. White, she took over a team that was 11th in the SEC and then was never higher than 12th in the SEC and finished last once to achieve a 13-55 SEC record, and 46-83 overall adter coaching the Indiana Fever for two years (after being Asst Coach for four years), getting them to the finals (2015 in her 1st year), and Champions as an assistant. She was the NPOY at Purdue in 1999, but was only taken i the second round of the WNBA (Charlotte). I wish her success in her future endeavors, as her experience at Vandy does not reflect her previous successes.

From the article, and the embedded video, I am encouraged that the leadership at Vandy is FULLY supporting Shea, and I am rooting for her, her picks for her staff, her family, and her team to have great success against all opponents except the Huskies of course...

Don't see why Vanderbilt with strong academics, can't be a top program like Stanford. As long as they have good backing from the Administration they could be a power. A great education lasts a lifetime, basketball has a limited span.

 

[Plebe]

I've often wondered about the conversation that Geno (must have) had with Shea regarding the Vandy job. She'd been with UConn for 16 years: was she going to replace Coach when he decided to hang them up? That's the question I would have asked if I had to chance to leave: am I next? What might Geno have said? He apparently encouraged her to take the job, so was he, at the same time, saying don't count on anything here?

As Geno will not be hiring his successor, it would be highly inappropriate for him to hold out any promises or predictions along these lines, and equally inappropriate for Shea to seek any such assurances from him.

Many folks here apparently believe (or want to believe) UConn will hire whomever Geno hand-picks to succeed him, but in general terms, as @j66kicker as pointed out before, an outgoing leader should not be the sole or primary authority on who takes over. There are multiple compelling reasons for this. Just look at how things worked out for Tennessee.