Rave reviews from Shea

[VAMike23]

I think Sue Bird still has a few good playing years left but I look forward to her being a coach, if that is in her plans.

Say she plays for 3-4 more years (just a hypothetical). Then she could:

1) Assist at a major program for 4-5 yrs or so and then look for a HC position at a smaller program if she performs well

2) Assist at a small/mid program with an older HC and possibly move up when the coach retires, if her performance warrants

3) same as 2 but subsequently look for a HC position elsewhere, possibly at a school in a strong bball conference but with an underperforming/lackluster program that needs shaking up

She's so smart and so intense that she could be great but could also be tough to play for . Just guessing. Probably a lot like a guy that assisted at UVA back in the day and then made a move....

 

[Kibitzer]

I think Shea needs to be a HC somewhere before she can take over for Geno. And maybe Jen needs to be HC somewhere much more high profile than Hartford, to show she can recruit elite players. Emphasis on MAYBE.

So if one or both make a move in the next year or two, it could be a signal.

Respectfully disagree. Geno's first HC job was at UConn, after being an assistant at Virginia. We know how that turned out.

Some other coaches have made similar leaps. Vince Lombardi's only head coaching job before Green Bay was at a parochial high school in New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches in 46 years (Noll, Cowher, Tomlin) and none had been head coaches before they took the HC job with Pittsburgh and all won Super bowls (six in all).

I do believe both Shea and Jenn will get, and may accept, offers to be HC elsewhere, but if Geno left UConn unexpectedly, they would be at the top of a short list to replace him.

 

[alexrgct]

It's an interesting debate about great players becoming great coaches. Is it just that there aren't many truly great coaches or truly great players, so the sample size is too small to expect much overlap? Or are there qualities specifically in great players that make it difficult for them to become great coaches?

I do think there is one quality that makes coaching difficult for great former players, and that is that many of them inherently understand that you have to pay a price to be great, and don't understand why a kid wouldn't be doing everything possible to be the best they could be (or just be totally intolerant of such a player). If there's anything to this, perhaps Tina Charles will be a great coach one day.

 

[VAMike23]

Respectfully disagree. Geno's first HC job was at UConn, after being an assistant at Virginia. We know how that turned out.

Some other coaches have made similar leaps. Vince Lombardi's only head coaching job before Green Bay was at a parochial high school in New Jersey. The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches in 46 years (Noll, Cowher, Tomlin) and none had been head coaches before they took the HC job with Pittsburgh and all won Super bowls (six in all).

I do believe both Shea and Jenn will get, and may accept, offers to be HC elsewhere, but if Geno left UConn unexpectedly, they would be at the top of a short list to replace him.

True, but pro coaches don't have to recruit per se and they don't face a forced 100% turnover every 4 yrs. We won't know (hopefully for a long time) how the top HS players will view UCONN after Geno is no longer coaching. I'm not saying the program shouldn't still be a big attraction for many, but you just don't know.

 

[Vowelguy]

I think Sue Bird still has a few good playing years left but I look forward to her being a coach, if that is in her plans.

Say she plays for 3-4 more years (just a hypothetical). Then she could:

1) Assist at a major program for 4-5 yrs or so and then look for a HC position at a smaller program if she performs well

2) Assist at a small/mid program with an older HC and possibly move up when the coach retires, if her performance warrants

3) same as 2 but subsequently look for a HC position elsewhere, possibly at a school in a strong bball conference but with an underperforming/lackluster program that needs shaking up

....

Dawn Staley started at Temple.

If Sue Bird wants to coach, she could get a decent head coaching job right out of the box.

 

[VAMike23]

Dawn Staley started at Temple.

If Sue Bird wants to coach, she could get a decent head coaching job right out of the box.

Dawn @ Temple is a very good comparison - and a strong point.

 

[arty155]

Perhaps, but prominent assistant coaches can get major jobs.

Coquese Washington at Penn St, Kim Mulkey at Baylor, Holly Warlick at Tenn, Jeff Walz at Louisville, Nikki Caldwell at UCLA

and Kevin Ollie at UConn

-Great point...

and Geno Auriemma, at UConn of course...

(1) ... Whose subjective opinion of what a future candidate "needs" to be UConn WBB Head Coach might influence and trump that of anyone else...

(2) “Need” prior experience as a Head Coach? Well, he famously recommended Coach Sherri Coale to be NCAA Division I Oklahoma's successful head coach, while she still served only as a high school coach...

(3) I anticipate Coach Auriemma will remain UConn's Head Coach for exactly as long as he continues to find it fun. Based on statements about his delight with the recent recruiting classes Coaches CD, Shea Ralph, and Marisa Moseley continue to bring in... I think (and hope) he'll still be having fun here for a long, looooong time.

 

[pap49cba]

IMO, the wild card in this 'future coaches' talk is DT.... Talk about a chip off the old (Geno) block.

 

[ASweet3781]

It's hard not to be getting excited. I mean most of us probably forgot about Brianna Banks and figured she'd might not be getting a lot of time because of the incoming freshman. Than you read rave reviews on her improvement. I mean I had Banks 10th on our roster. Whose the weak link? No one. Even Buck brings something to the table. Doesn't appear to be much of a drop off when players leave the game and those on the bench come in.

Should be a fun year. Let's hope they stay healthy.

 

[Vowelguy]

IMO, the wild card in this 'future coaches' talk is DT.... Talk about a chip off the old (Geno) block.

DT does not seem like a college coach to me.

 

[alexrgct]

DT does not seem like a college coach to me.

Nor I. Think she would be easily frustrated with many aspects of the job.

 

[Vowelguy]

Nor I. Think she would be easily frustrated with many aspects of the job.

yup

 

[Ozzie Nelson]

It's hard not to be getting excited. I mean most of us probably forgot about Brianna Banks and figured she'd might not be getting a lot of time because of the incoming freshman. Than you read rave reviews on her improvement. I mean I had Banks 10th on our roster. Whose the weak link? No one. Even Buck brings something to the table. Doesn't appear to be much of a drop off when players leave the game and those on the bench come in.

Should be a fun year. Let's hope they stay healthy.

Heather Buck brings much to the court...

 

[doggydaddy]

Heather Buck brings much to the court...

I agree, Ozzie. I am a big Buck fan. But I do think that she has not brough as much as she is capable of bringing.

While probably one the best conditioned player on the team, if not the best, her contributions have been limited. Last year, she looked to be on her way to "getting it" and then she hurt her wrist.

I think she gets "senioritis" in a good way. I love her intensity when she is on the court, her swooping rebounds and her help defense. I'd love to see her impact the team more than just hoping she can help defend Griner.

 

[PacoSwede]

Dawn Staley started at Temple.

If Sue Bird wants to coach, she could get a decent head coaching job right out of the box.

Seems to me this is a major factor many apparently don't want to consider.

Why would Sue Bird or DT want to get into coaching? For that matter, other than the money, I think it's very possible Jen would be reluctant to leave Hartford, where she's been a long time, been successful, and undoubtedly has developed strong feelings of loyalty and ownership. "Moving up" a career ladder really is not of much importance to many folks. (Have no idea if that's true of Jen, but OTOH you can't dismiss it as a potential factor in her choices.)

Don't know Sue, either, but she's making more money playing than she would at any assistant coaching job -- or HC jobs except at the most uber-elite schools. Beyond that, I would think she would have many attractive offers in some high-profile field -- TV (easily see her as a Lawson/Lobo type), politics (if she is so inclined), or other positions -- offering big bucks and fewer negatives than coaching -- where a celebrity would be seen as an important asset to an enterprise. She's obviously got what it takes to be a star beyond bball.

DT is a special case. She loves the game so much -- and hopefully has set herself up financially -- that perhaps she would want to coach simply to stay involved. Kind of like having a passion for some hobby, or a need to have a daunting challenge to hold her interest.. Plus, she carries some baggage public-imagewise that could make her PR/pop culture value perhaps problematic. And despite her love of the game, you get the impression her personality demands something more free-spirited than coaching allows.

O course, UConn HC $$$$ and prestige/ego boost could be hard to turn down for anyone in their situations..

 

[Vowelguy]

Jen has expressed interest in the UConn job.

Sue in politics?? Definitely do NOT see that.

 

[HuskyNan]

Perhaps, but prominent assistant coaches can get major jobs.

Coquese Washington at Penn St, Kim Mulkey at Baylor, Holly Warlick at Tenn, Jeff Walz at Louisville, Nikki Caldwell at UCLA

and Kevin Ollie at UConn

Geno Auriemma

 

[Vowelguy]

Geno Auriemma

I was referring to the modern era.

 

[Phil]

Geno Auriemma

Let's not kid ourselves, UConn was NOT a major job when he got the job. Even he admits he saw it as a stepping stone to a real school.

 

[Scotter]

I think it is overwhelmingly a sample size issue. You're talking about a tiny sample size of great players, many of whom were great at least in part to unique physical advantages, competing against an enormous talent pool of potential coaches. Michael Jordan now has to compete against guys that couldn't jump over the phone book on relatively equal footing. You can talk about drive, dedication, and paying the price, but on every professional roster there are less physically talented players with that same drive and dedication.

It's an interesting debate about great players becoming great coaches. Is it just that there aren't many truly great coaches or truly great players, so the sample size is too small to expect much overlap? Or are there qualities specifically in great players that make it difficult for them to become great coaches?

I do think there is one quality that makes coaching difficult for great former players, and that is that many of them inherently understand that you have to pay a price to be great, and don't understand why a kid wouldn't be doing everything possible to be the best they could be (or just be totally intolerant of such a player). If there's anything to this, perhaps Tina Charles will be a great coach one day.

 

[connboy77]

I would love to see Heather Buck finish her career at UCONN on a positive note. She has always had the talent to be successful, but for one reason or another has never reached her full potential. This is Heather's last chance so I believe we all see a different Heather this year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sue is already a coach on the floor. She is both personable and demanding. She has big-time name recognition. I think she would be a great coach.

 

[Vowelguy]

Sue is already a coach on the floor. She is both personable and demanding. She has big-time name recognition. I think she would be a great coach.

Being a great player does not make one a great coach.
Magic Johnson was a coach on the floor; his coaching career was brief.
Isiah Thomas was horrible, horr-i-ble as coach (and GM).

That said, I can see Sue as a coach ... certainly moreso than DT.

 

[alexrgct]

I think it is overwhelmingly a sample size issue. You're talking about a tiny sample size of great players, many of whom were great at least in part to unique physical advantages, competing against an enormous talent pool of potential coaches. Michael Jordan now has to compete against guys that couldn't jump over the phone book on relatively equal footing. You can talk about drive, dedication, and paying the price, but on every professional roster there are less physically talented players with that same drive and dedication.

And on every professional (and many college) rosters, there are extremely gifted players who don't have that same drive and dedication. That is what can drive all-time great players crazy. A guy like Jordan was extremely gifted physically, but his most defining characteristic was that he was maniacally competitive. He would be an awful head coach, as a side note.

Actually two all-time great players who were successful as coaches were not necessarily the most freakish physical specimens: Larry Bird and Bill Russell.

 

[UConnChapette]

IMO, the wild card in this 'future coaches' talk is DT.... Talk about a chip off the old (Geno) block.

Should DT ever become a coach, ESPN, CBS et al should think twice - heck, a dozen times - before putting a mike on her during games. Geno's infamous Sveta comment "she plays like a g%$d&*@ European" would earn a "G" rating, "PG" at worst in comparison.