Good move for Marisa. Reminds me of what Geno talked about during one of his press conferences up in Albany. He was asked about Dawn's progression as a coach and Geno talked about the importance of young coaches learning how to coach and how it's easier (and better) to do so at a school where every mistake isn't scrutinized.
Q. Over the years, you've seen Dawn, built Temple, South Carolina, worked alongside you on the last Olympic staff. Can you talk about just watching her through the years and what you thought she really possesses or any special qualities?
COACH GENO AURIEMMA: It's one of those stories, I think Felisha was talking about it yesterday, about young coaches who need an opportunity to coach and need an opportunity to show what they can do.
Dawn was start [smart] enough to do it at a place where your mistakes aren't going to be to be scrutinized every day, so she was able to learn how to coach at Temple. She was probably learning to coach the whole time she played, you know, when you play a lot of basketball. And that doesn't mean you've played a lot of basketball, you're going to be a great coach. Although, every kid that I've ever coached on the Olympic Team thinks they can coach better than me, but that's just the way those people think.
But she did it the right way. You know, she went to a place and learned how to coach, and then when the opportunity came to coach at a place when you could win the National Championship, she's made the most of it, taken advantage of it.
