OT: Sun to Hire Stephanie White as Head Coach

[UConnCat]

Interesting. She did a very good job coaching the Fever but was much less successful coaching Vandy. Maybe she's more comfortable with older, professional players.

 

[DefenseBB]

Sorry UConnCat but I have to disagree with you that Stephanie did a good job for the limited 2 years she coached the Fever. She took over for Lin Dunn who had a very good set of teams and while Stephanie finished 3rd in the East with a 20-14 on 2015 record and lost in the final, she was 17-17 on 2016 and lost in the first round. Then she bolted for the million dollar salary that the dope of a Vandy AD offered her and she ran Vandy into the ground. Indiana also his s series of rough years after she left as well.

I suspect she will be an unmitigated disaster in Phoenix. DT will have to be even more of a vocal player-coach than she already is. This, to me is a bad and lazy hire.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Sorry UConnCat but I have to disagree with you that Stephanie did a good job for the limited 2 years she coached the Fever. She took over for Lin Dunn who had a very good set of teams and while Stephanie finished 3rd in the East with a 20-14 on 2015 record and lost in the final, she was 17-17 on 2016 and lost in the first round. Then she bolted for the million dollar salary that the dope of a Vandy AD offered her and she ran Vandy into the ground. Indiana also his s series of rough years after she left as well.

I suspect she will be an unmitigated disaster in Phoenix. DT will have to be even more of a vocal player-coach than she already is. This, to me is a bad and lazy hire.

She was hired for the Connecticut Sun, not the Phoenix Mercury (or the Phoenix Sun).

 

[Millenial23]

Not a fan of this hire... She has been in the broadcast booth for a reason, not coaching...

 

[huskeynut]

Hiring another recycled coach. Not good.

 

[hoopsdiva]

An underwhelming hire.

 

[Bald Husky]

Really didn't expect this. I was wondering who was available. Miller is a great coach and the one following him will have a big challenge since some of the players are free agents. I suspect Bri Jones will find a team that will pay her a lot. She turned into a great player, and I will miss her. Not happy about the entire situation. BTW, I am a huge Sun fan. But until May, Go Huskies.

 

[DICKG]

An underwhelming hire.

I agree. I don't think they had a lot of interest in this job. Next year could be at best mediocore. They will lose some good players. I wonder of Brandi Poole was interested?

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I'm also disappointed in the CT Sun's choice of Stephanie White as Head Coach!
I would think a knowledgeable BB person as Jenn Rizzotti would get a top young coach with a successful record on either the college level
as an Assistant or Head Coach! or an Assistant on the pro level!
I think the Sun players would also be disappointed in the choice after having a great coach like Curt Miller for a long time!
It might have been wiser to hire from within!

 

[JellyBean]

I gotta agree with many of you all, not a fan of this hire. Like @huskeynut said, not a fan of the recycling hiring. With so many assistant coaches, college or pro, out there. I hope it works out for the Sun. I wish Coach White all the best.

 

[CamrnCrz1974]

Unless Brandi Poole is following Curt Miller to Los Angeles, I am unconvinced Stephanie White was the best available candidate -- or even a good one.

White's record in Indy occurred during Tamika Catchings' final two years. Indiana has been a disaster since Catchings retired (though in part because of Catchings' front office moves). Given her track record at Vanderbilt, one questions whether her "success" with Indiana (and her winning percentage with the Fever was worse than both of her predecessors) had more to with Catchings the player than White the coach.

 

[Bald Husky]

When Mike Thibeau, a great coach, was fired, he was followed by Anne Donovon, and that hire was a disaster. The Sun tumbled in the standings, not to mention that's when Tina Charles decided that she wanted out. I am afraid the same thing is going to happen with White as coach. We still have the makings of a championship team and I just pray she won't screw it up.

 

[Boreifs]

She is a very fine analyst though. Her commentary in the OSU-TN game was first class.