Kara Lawson emerges as leading candidate for Duke WBB job

[nwhoopfan]

Hiring back former coaches doesn't work out normally, no matter the sport.

Mike Riley had a decent 2nd stint as football coach at Oregon St. after a brief foray into the NFL.

 

[SECbbfan24]

I hope her salary is deserving and they didn't low ball her....

How much should she be making?

 

[HuskyMJ]

I hope her salary is deserving and they didn't low ball her....

What constitutes a lowball offer during a pandemic where colleges across the country are slashing budgets, laying off staff? Some colleges can't even hire assistant coaches before of hiring freezes. She accepted the job so the money must have been fine even if its way lower than what Duke paid the last coach.

 

[baggerbob]

What constitutes a lowball offer during a pandemic where colleges across the country are slashing budgets, laying off staff? Some colleges can't even hire assistant coaches before of hiring freezes. She accepted the job so the money must have been fine even if its way lower than what Duke paid the last coach.

Kara will be a good coach, she really knows the game, and how much hard work it takes. She will win some games early just by knowing how to exploit other teams weaknesses.

 

[baggerbob]

Kara will be a good coach, she really knows the game, and how much hard work it takes. She will win some games early just by knowing how to exploit other teams weaknesses.

Maybe she's getting her feet wet for her dream job to be the 1st person to replace a legend, and continue greatness at Uconn.

 

[Tonyc]

A great get for Duke as Kara has all the connections she lacks experience. Her coaching career is very little. She knows her stuff, she has contacts and shes taking on a program that need to be rebuilt and has alot of holes that need to be filled. That aint easy espeically without much experience. I feel it will be a work in process for her and she will need to surround herself with coaches who are experienced.

As far as recruiting. She needs alot and most of the top kids for the next year have made their decisions and commitmented. Yeah its Duke and Kara but there is no base to start with. Duke needs a bunch of top kids and that takes time and as for those top kids do they want to come in and be a big fish in a little pond? You can bet there will be no Championships for a couple of years. As good as Vic Schaefer is he has something to start with, he has a proven record as a coach and he has Texas to draw from with competition from A&M and Baylor. Kara has nothing to start with compared to them.

Duke has alot of potential with Kara however Kara has alot of work infront of her. As for Tenn not taking Kara. A couple of thoughts. The people who put up the big money at Tenn want Football. WBB is at the bottom of the list. I would think that Tenn wasnt going to pay big bucks for Kara or anyother coach because the big money fans want Football.

So we will take a wait and see with Duke. I wish them the best of luck as well as Kara and it will be fun to watch however UConn Baylor Stanford SC are on top right now and will be for the next 4 years.

 

[domerduck]

I hope her salary is deserving and they didn't low ball her....

With no inside knowledge, I did have a theory that the Celtics may help Duke through this process. My guess given the pandemic her value add as an assitant and development coach has diminished as well as NBA budgets (the Blazers laid off several from their front office staff). Still letting go Kara would have been terrible PR for the Celtics and the NBA. This move (like the Ivey move) is easy to explain. Plus with the Duke Trustee/Celtic Owner connection you never knwo the the money flows. My guess is Kara didn't take a pay cut.

 

[BobbyJ]

With no inside knowledge, I did have a theory that the Celtics may help Duke through this process. My guess given the pandemic her value add as an assitant and development coach has diminished as well as NBA budgets (the Blazers laid off several from their front office staff). Still letting go Kara would have been terrible PR for the Celtics and the NBA. This move (like the Ivey move) is easy to explain. Plus with the Duke Trustee/Celtic Owner connection you never knwo the the money flows. My guess is Kara didn't take a pay cut.

She definitely didn't take a pay cut. If she was making $100K with Boston she was doing well with no prior NBA experience. If she's getting $500K with Duke that's great because it would take her many years with any NBA team to get to that as an assistant.

 

[DeeHusky]

I want to know who she’s going to hire as her assistants

 

[Carnac]

I want to know who she’s going to hire as her assistants

Me too. I’m guessing at least one will have HC experience.

What are Kara Lawson's five biggest priorities as Duke's new head coach?

Duke's Kara Lawson talks experience in introduction

 

[southie]

I want to know who she’s going to hire as her assistants

Tyler and Micki, duh!

 

[southie]

What constitutes a lowball offer during a pandemic where colleges across the country are slashing budgets, laying off staff? Some colleges can't even hire assistant coaches before of hiring freezes. She accepted the job so the money must have been fine even if its way lower than what Duke paid the last coach.

To me, regardless of the times, a lowball offer is when the new coach is offered less than the previous coach they replace; but, that's based on both coaches having comparable experience/success. No way would it make sense for Duke to pay Lawson what McCallie was earning (based solely on experience).

McCray was offered a lot less than Vic Schaefer was earning (and his increase offer not to leave for Texas), and she came with some collegiate head coaching experience, and several years as an assistant coach.. Lawson comes with no collegiate coaching experience at any level.

 

[dws3665]

I really like Lawson as a personality, and I enjoy her commentary on games, both in the studio and courtside. I hope she does well and rewards Duke's confidence in her. It's good for WBB to have a strong Duke program, and I hope this hire makes it happen.

But I have to say, I'm more than a little surprised that they hired someone with so little WBB coaching experience at all, and virtually no college coaching experience. I hear much being made about how "connections" to top coaches and insights from calling so many games and talking to so many different coaches will help her.

Maybe I'm just an Arkansas fan with "PJDTSD," but these are the same arguments that folks who supported the hire of Jimmy Dykes made. (FTR, I was not one of them.) "He's a great announcer/analyst; sure, he's never coached college women, but he knows all the coaches and has called their games; he played for a legend (Eddie Sutton)."

Don't misunderstand me -- I"m not saying that Lawson = Dykes -- just that the biggest arguments I'm seeing in her favor sound awfully familiar.

Some things that for sure set them apart: there is exactly zero doubt that Coach Lawson will be infinitely better at relating to her players than Dykes was -- the stories his players tell ... sheesh -- and that alone will help her. I also have a strong suspicion that Coach Lawson will be able to put together a staff that isn't just a bunch of "yes-men" and "yes-women." For example, I doubt that she'll hire the JV Boys HS coach from Hillside High onto her staff. (Sorry, that was my PJDTSD flaring up again....)

Good luck, Coach Lawson! Rooting for you!

 

[triaddukefan]

I really like Lawson as a personality, and I enjoy her commentary on games, both in the studio and courtside. I hope she does well and rewards Duke's confidence in her. It's good for WBB to have a strong Duke program, and I hope this hire makes it happen.

not to mention.... alot better for my blood pressure and mental health

 

[eebmg]

Hey Triad, I'm going to quote the late Buddy Ryan when he addressed the media upon his arrival at the airport in Philadelphia after being hired as the Eagles new head coach.............."You've got a winner in town".

Hope she does alot better than 0-3 in the playoff's Buddy Ryan

 

[Plebe]

not to mention.... alot better for my blood pressure and mental health

But we will all sorely miss your self-deprecating comedic genius

 

[nwhoopfan]

But we will all sorely miss your self-deprecating comedic genius

Think of the epic celebratory meals though!

 

[domerduck]

Kara Lawson was on SiriusXM Fullride show this morning, ESPNU radio. As you would expect a quality interview with her. She is clearly media savvy and getting interviewed by Rick Neuheisal and Chris Childers on one of SiriusXM most popular college sports shows was a good move. She was driving from the NBA bubble to Durham so talked about that experience, 13 years in the WNBA, Celtics decision and Brad Stephens support, channeling Pat Summitt, and talking to Coach K. She talked about her recruiting when Neuheisal asked her if she was choosing between Tennessee and UConn. Didn't answer but said her choice her final 5 were: Stanford (which her Dad wanted her to go), Duke (which her mom wanted her to go), Vanderbilt, UVa, and Tennessee, which she said she charted her own course with that choice. She stated Duke is the most iconic College BBall brand, Cameron is a Temple, and seemed ready to go. She could wake up a sleeping giant if she gets the right "Shielas and Joes" (Neuheisal's term) for that school.

PS: I can't link the interview yet since the show is still live as I post. If you have a SiriusXM subscription you can use the app and restart Fullride on channel 84. It's starts 36 minutes into the show. Sirius usually downloads the show without commercials this afternoon. Worth a listen.

 

[JonathanXIV]

Duke men and women basketball national championships - 5

UConn men and women basketball national championships - 15

Explain to me again what the most iconic College BBall brand is again.

 

[bramos]

Kara Lawson should check in with Lindsay Whalen. It ain't easy.

This will turn out to be another Stephanie White. The great ones can't help themselves by expecting their players to be like them..

 

[UConnCat]

This will turn out to be another Stephanie White. The great ones can't help themselves by expecting their players to be like them..

No one really knows. Stephanie White took the Fever to the WNBA finals in her first year as a head coach. I thought she'd be an outstanding college coach and one day she may be. It's not easy. Lawson will have the advantage of recruiting to a school like Duke so eventually she'll have the players.

 

[CocoHusky]

Got bored with this thread so took a peek at what's going on at a few other sites, okay, one other site and found it far more entertaining. Apparently Lawson will take the job but only for the training it would provide so she can then ascend to the throne and set the women's basketball world right.

"The training it provides"
Weren't Tyler Summitt's stops at Marquette and Louisiana Tech, Kellie Harper stops at Auburn, Chattanooga, Western Carolina, NC State & Missouri, Nikki Vargas' stops at UVA, UCLA & LSU and Nikki McCray's stops at Western Kentucky, South Carolina, & Old Dominion all designed to provide similar training?

 

[domerduck]

Duke men and women basketball national championships - 5

UConn men and women basketball national championships - 15

Explain to me again what the most iconic College BBall brand is again.

Well ask Kara. She mentioned Duke's brand is the most recognizable as a bball school and even metnoned internationally, which is maybe how she played it. I also thought it was surprising when Rick asked jer if it was between UConn and Tennessee for her services when she was recruited, she didn't even acknowledge UConn was on her radar. It seems she is focusing on the value of the education and hoping she can pull from UConn and other "lesser" academic brand schools.

 

[UConnCat]

Well ask Kara. She mentioned Duke's brand is the most recognizable as a bball school and even metnoned internationally, which is maybe how she played it. I also thought it was surprising when Rick asked jer if it was between UConn and Tennessee for her services when she was recruited, she didn't even acknowledge UConn was on her radar. It seems she is focusing on the value of the education and hoping she can pull from UConn and other "lesser" academic brand schools.

UConn appeared on her radar after she arrived in Knoxville and not in a good way for her. Her teams were 2-7 overall against UConn and 0-3 in Final Four meetings. Maybe she'll exact some revenge as a coach.

 

[Shades]