The end of an era?

[speedoo]

You also need to take into account a few things here. First, yes, UCLA is having a less-than-stellar year, but their best player (Jasmine Dixon) was injured prior to the season, so she's redshirting this year. One of their other strongest players, Markel Walker, has also missed almost half of their games so far this year.

Also, who knows how smoothly the transition phase is going from one head coach to the other. Can't blame Caldwell for that.

One last thing, Sheila Boykin, the 27th best recruit (as rated per hoopgurlz) last year was recruited to play for Caldwell at UCLA, but chose to follow her to LSU instead. Though this might not even be worth mentioning, as I just looked at her stats, and she's not doing too much so far this year. meh.

Anyway, she did alright at UCLA while she was there. Only 5 losses last year (3 to Stanford, and one in the NCAA tourney). But I agree, I don't see her taking the reins at Tennessee any time soon.

Bottom line on Caldwell is that her resume is nothing special. If she were just an average looking person instead of as attractive as she is, she would not be getting as much hype from the summitteers as she has been getting. Both Walz and Mitchell are about the same age, with the same amount of experience, but have accomplished far more than she has.

 

[Jonathan Husky]

I hope Pat will retire at the end of this year. Otherwise Tn will continue their free fall out of the top ten. They will have to get someone who is a quality coach and can recruit. The preference would probably be a former Tn player. Kelly Jolly Harper is probably the best Tn bet at this time. There are lots of choices if they go outside of the Tn family.

There are 3 strong candidates to replace Geno when he retires. Jen, Shea and Jamelle.
Jen has proven her coaching ability with Hartford and in the USA Program and is the strongest candidate. In five years we will know how successful Jamelle is in turning Cinncy into a quality team. Shea will probably get a head coaching job in a year or two and we will see how that works out.

If CD wanted to do it for a couple of years she is the choice. Its unlikely because she supposedly has turned down head coaching jobs in the past few years.

 

[alexrgct]

Maybe this isn't interesting to anyone but me, but I'll ask again.

Do you think at a program with a legendary female coach, there will be significant pressure to hire a woman to replace her? Seems to be some really good male coaches out there that I'd want to consider, but is that something Tennessee would pursue?

 

[Icebear]

Maybe this isn't interesting to anyone but me, but I'll ask again.

Do you think at a program with a legendary female coach, there will be significant pressure to hire a woman to replace her? Seems to be some really good male coaches out there that I'd want to consider, but is that something Tennessee would pursue?

Yes, I expect there will be great pressure at TN to hire a woman.

 

[huskeynut]

I would hope for her benefit as well as the program's, Pat will choose to retire at the end of this season. It is sad to see her legacy potentially ending on a negative note. She has done so much for WCBB and the Tennessee program.

That being said, Tennessee will be faced with the major task of hiring their next head coach. I'm sure they would like to stay within the Tennessee coaching tree but it doesn't seem that may be viable. I don't see Caldwell leaving LSU. Not sure how good Kelly Harper is doing at NC State. That one is a very difficult situation.

I don't think Warlick or DeMoss are the right choices for the job. But it is difficult to judge given the present situation. If one of those was to be offered the position, I would hope Tennessee would give them at least a three year contract. It is going to take more than one year to give the program a course correction.

Jeff Walz's name has been mentioned on their board along with Muffitt McGraw. I don't see either leaving their present positions. And why should they. Muffitt has established the ND program as a national power and has great support. Walz is building a very formidable program and has great support. Following Pat is going to be very difficult and the new coach will constantly be under the microscope and compared to Pat. Not fair but reality.

As for Uconn, Geno's coaching tree is solid. Tonya, Jamelle, Jenn are all head coaches who have met with success. It is hard to judge Jamelle because she inherited a very bad program void of much talent but at least they are playing hard. CD will probably go when Geno goes and that makes sense. Shea is a possibility but she lacks head coaching experience. Doesn't mean she can't do the job.

 

[itsasport]

What about the coachwhose team beat Tenn in the NCAA's (Ball State?) She did alot with minimal talent.

 

[ThisJustIn]

What about the coachwhose team beat Tenn in the NCAA's (Ball State?) She did alot with minimal talent.

Packard inherited her team from the previous coach (who battled depression). Since then, Ball State has done nothing.

The thing that concerns me about Jen is that, yes there have been injuries and such, but I'd expect that she would rule the AEast the way Marist has. And she hasn't (this year is VERY tough, and BU looks like its rebuilding under Greenberg.)

Interestingly enough, I think CD would stay for a few years after Geno, and that would make anyone's transition that much better -- a level of recruiting consistency and institutional memory.

Shea needs head coaching experience. In a few years Jam and Tonya will show more of what they've got, top to bottom.

At TN, it feels like the safe bet is to elevate the assistants -- but I think that's unwise. I think the harder decision is to clean house.

 

[trb123]

Packard inherited her team from the previous coach (who battled depression). Since then, Ball State has done nothing.

The thing that concerns me about Jen is that, yes there have been injuries and such, but I'd expect that she would rule the AEast the way Marist has. And she hasn't (this year is VERY tough, and BU looks like its rebuilding under Greenberg.)

Interestingly enough, I think CD would stay for a few years after Geno, and that would make anyone's transition that much better -- a level of recruiting consistency and institutional memory.

Shea needs head coaching experience. In a few years Jam and Tonya will show more of what they've got, top to bottom.

At TN, it feels like the safe bet is to elevate the assistants -- but I think that's unwise. I think the harder decision is to clean house.

Tonya Cardoza had been a head coach for 3 years. This is her 4th year as a head coach. I have not checked her stats. They are roughly - three 20+ win seasons, 3 trips to the NCAA, 2 consecutive 2nd round trips. Kelly Harper's performance was similar to this. I have not checked Rizzotti's stats.

Shea Ralph needs a HC position soon to be considered as Geno's replacement.

 

[BrooklynKid]

If Pat retires, I believe Warlick will be head coach with DeMoss and Lockwood as assistants. Warlick has been waiting in the wings for a long time and I'm pretty sure she will be the head coach when the times comes.

 

[Kibitzer]

I never thought I would see the day when Pat Summitt would receive more respect on the Boneyard than on The SUmmiTT. Several of their posters loudly suggest that she somehow "take charge!" once again. They can't get it into their heads that she surely would if only she could.

But she simply can't and that is a tragedy unfolding for all to see. So sad.

The notion that the ESPN cameramen are joining a conspiracy to focus on Pat only during her quiet and pensive moments (and ignoring her fiery ones) is just plain silly.

I fully expect that Pat will step down at the end of this season and my best guess is that her son, Tyler, will act as the liaison between Pat and the AD. I have no idea who will be hired as her replacement but I would be surprised if one of the current assistants is elevated to HC.

I have always thought that Geno will stay on the job until he gets ten NCs. I have no inside knowledge but an inclination to think in terms of round numbers (1,000 W's and ten NC's). And if CD leaves when Geno does, it would seem logical that Jen becomes the HC and Shea the AHG. Just my guess.

Final thought. I can't imagine that either Tennessee or UConn will go outside their respective "family" when seeking a replacement for Pat or Geno. To do so would insult Pat and Geno would insult the guy who did it.

 

[rwdinsalem]

For all those saying you need head coaching experience - Geno & Pat did not and look how that has turned out. Even if you say things are different now, look at Waltz. I personally think that ability, drive, personality, communication skills,vision, basketball knowledge, leadership skills and vision are more important.

 

[doggydaddy]

There are several fans on The Summit that don't want Caldwell because she is pregnant and not married, although she is in a fully committed relationship with the father of the baby.

A terrible role model. They would end up with a team of pregnant players.

 

[alexrgct]

Kim Mulkey was also not an HC prior to Baylor, though she was an Associate HC at La Tech. There is a lot of luck in this process. UConn never in its wildest dreams expected Geno would do what he's done here, and I doubt Baylor was certain Kim would transform their program.

Admittedly, the job of keeping an already premier program afloat is a different job from building it up, but you still never know until someone's on campus how they're really going to fare.

 

[alexrgct]

There are several fans on The Summit that don't want Caldwell because she is pregnant and not married, although she is in a fully committed relationship with the father of the baby.

A terrible role model. They would end up with a team of pregnant players.

The South is the South is the South. One of the big reasons Shaq went to LA in 1996 was that he was tired of the Orlando press talking about his child out of wedlock. In LA, no one batted an eyelash.

 

[doggydaddy]

The South is the South is the South. One of the big reasons Shaq went to LA in 1996 was that he was tired of the Orlando press talking about his child out of wedlock. In LA, no one batted an eyelash.

As far as I know, the very southern LSU fans didn't publically admit the same feelings about Caldwell that were so clearly on display by the Tennessee fans.

 

[Kibitzer]

For all those saying you need head coaching experience - Geno & Pat did not and look how that has turned out. Even if you say things are different now, look at Waltz. I personally think that ability, drive, personality, communication skills,vision, basketball knowledge, leadership skills and vision are more important.

There was once a coach with some useful experience as an assistant coach at both the collegiate and professional levels. His sole head coaching experience was at a parochial high school in New Jersey.

The Green Bay Packers were in dire need of a (not expensive) head coach so they took a chance and hired Vince Lombardi to his second head coaching job.

We know how that worked out.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had three head coaches in 40 years. I don't think that Chuck Noll, Bill Cowher or Mike Tomlin had ever been a head coach before the Stillers hired them. Each won at least one Super Bowl; total, six.

 

[EricSD]

There are several fans on The Summit that don't want Caldwell because she is pregnant and not married, although she is in a fully committed relationship with the father of the baby.

A terrible role model. They would end up with a team of pregnant players.

seriously? wow...

 

[cohenzone]

While it is all well and good to look for someone with program ties to replace a departing coach, as has been pointed out, succeeding to a legendary coach is not all roses. As the saying goes, be careful what you wish for, right Randy Edsall? Anyway UConn has 2 legendary hoops coaches and ex-players in the program have been mentioned as possible successors for whenever they retire or leave. The school has to be as thorough and as thoughtful as possible in choosing a successor. If a person with ties to the program is determined to be the best choice after proper competition and consideration, great, I'm all for it. But I tend to be unsentimental about these sorts of things and if the decision is that someone from outside the program should be chosen as the best of the candidates, then that's the way it should go regardless of whether or not it is UConn, Tennessee, Alabama, UCLA, you name it. Not that choosing a successor should be a snap for any program, but highly successful programs are under an intense spotlight for any new coach and sometimes the definition of "success" can be pretty cruel. Just ask Gene Bartow who succeeded the legend of all legends, John Wooden. He had fine records by any definition, but not spectacular and he was let go after not all that many years.

 

[alexrgct]

As far as I know, the very southern LSU fans didn't publically admit the same feelings about Caldwell that were so clearly on display by the Tennessee fans.

I don't talk to a ton of LSU fans, but in a heavily southern, heavily catholic, mostly socially conservative state (save some notable pockets), I'd be willing to bet there were some raised eyebrows.

Edit: indeed, some raised eyebrows

 

[cohenzone]

"Kim Mulkey was also not an HC prior to Baylor, though she was an Associate HC at La Tech. There is a lot of luck in this process. UConn never in its wildest dreams expected Geno would do what he's done here, and I doubt Baylor was certain Kim would transform their program.

Admittedly, the job of keeping an already premier program afloat is a different job from building it up, but you still never know until someone's on campus how they're really going to fare.

Hopefully you aren't too lightly (I don't think you mean to) describing the difference between building up a program that really never was very good or has been down for decades versus taking over an elite program. The expectations are so different. If Geno had basically kept the program where it was or just improved it a little from when he took over, most of us would never have noticed and we would be as cold a bed for women's hoops as any other place that hasn't ever had a good women's program. We could go from one coach to the next with a big yawn. While it's true you never can tell who will be successful and who won't, choosing a successor to an elite coach has to be done with as much insight as possible, and even then , mistakes can be made and because the leeway for a down period is very small..

ETA: As much as UT fans want to deny it, they got such a big boost at just the right time when Geno and then Rebecca Lobo and friends came along. UT had not captured TV network imagination on its own, and might well have continued to have very little in top competition outside of ODU and LaTech in a world that few but the most directly invested took note of. That wouldn't have made Pat Summitt any less of a coach, and for better or worse, that UConn rivalry - any quite likely the proximity of UConn to ESPN didn't hurt any - was a major shot in the arm for women's hoops and for UT. For that, UT fans should be a little less anxious to tear apart another coaching legend who helped put UT on a larger map.

 

[doggydaddy]

I don't talk to a ton of LSU fans, but in a heavily southern, heavily catholic, mostly socially conservative state (save some notable pockets), I'd be willing to bet there were some raised eyebrows.

Edit: indeed, some raised eyebrows

Thanks for finding that Alex. I stand corrected.

And it certainly is a southern opinion more than northern, although you will find similar opinions everywhere.

 

[pap49cba]

Living down here in SEC-ville as I do I can tell you it's really quite simple.... Both the LV's and Kentucky men's fans are living in the past.