UMass fires women's head coach...Storrs interest?

[Blakeon18]

I see that UMass has fired Sharon Dawley as head coach after a few years of holding that job.
UMass has been terrible for a long time. I wonder if either Marisa or Shea might have interest.
While Shea is often mentioned as a possible successor to Geno, I would think her resume would look better
if she checked the box with the label 'previous head coaching experience'...same for all candidates to follow our current #1. I would bet that UMass would consider getting either Marisa or Shea as a flat out gold medal hiring.

 

[cordarone]

Why would either of them go there? One might as well aim for the Providence or BC coaching jobs, if they become open.
Those schools seem to offer the same (marginal) level of support for their WBB teams but enjoy a (somewhat, but not by much) higher profile than UMass.

 

[hardcorehusky]

They aren't going for these jobs. 1) look at Jamelle Elliott. She went to Cinncinati which sounds great but she has very little resources and can't get any traction. So any job has to have the resources. 2) UMass does not have the resources. 3) Providence doesn't have the resources and 4) BC might have the money but their athletic department is a dumpster fire.

If they are going to another school, it will be to a school with resources that has a commitment to winning.

 

[cordarone]

No disagreement here. My point was, if you're going to take a resume-killing coaching gig, there's more than a few to choose from in the Northeast.

 

[EricLA]

They aren't going for these jobs. 1) look at Jamelle Elliott. She went to Cinncinati which sounds great but she has very little resources and can't get any traction. So any job has to have the resources. 2) UMass does not have the resources. 3) Providence doesn't have the resources and 4) BC might have the money but their athletic department is a dumpster fire.

If they are going to another school, it will be to a school with resources that has a commitment to winning.

I agree with this 100%. I would have said the same thing about Temple and Tonya a few years ago but she's really turned things around, and without landing any top 100 kids I'm aware of. I think the next step for Tonya will be to start landing some elite recruits - top 75, top 50 etc.

Jamelle on the other hand - Cinci is dreadful and it seems the administration doesn't care. They are going nowhere in the near future unfortunately. As for UMASS - I bet the pay would be a lot less than at UCONN, and with little resources or administration support, it's unlikely any coach there will be able to recruit well. It's a no win.

 

[Icebear]

At least Tonya followed Dawn who had done some good things with the program at Temple.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Shea has said that she is open to a move, but it would take something really special to move her out of her position at UConn.

 

[Vowelguy]

A top level assistant can get a job at a major conference team. No reason for a UConn assistant to go to UMass.

 

[CL82]

Shea has said that she is open to a move, but it would take something really special to move her out of her position at UConn.

I'd be more worried about Knoxville than UMass.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'd be more worried about Knoxville than UMass.

I know there has been Vol fan chat about Shea, but, honestly, with no recruits for next year and God knows for the year after, I wouldn't take that assignment without a 7 or 8 year deal. The weight of the world on your shoulders and a program in disarray; big gamble there. Then there is the pending sexism lawsuit and an AD who most see as wanting to diminish support for women's athletics.

 

[slug25]

Wisconsin would be a good spot to establish one's credentials as a head coach.

 

[iamcbs]

Why is it that on this Board, Shea's name is linked to every WCBB opening that comes along? She has said time and again that although she's open to a move, she's extremely happy where she is and not actively seeking any position. Why would she leave to take a job like UMass? When she's ready she'll get a much better opportunity at an institution that has the resources to help her be successful. She nor Marisa are going to take a job just for the sake of being a HC, both could have done that by now if that were their ambition. Shea, if she leaves, will go when the time is right and the opportunity affords her the greatest possibility of success. Until then just enjoy the fact that she's still at UConn.

 

[DishNSwish]

I remember reading that Geno tells all his assistants if you are going to take a head coach position, go to a school that is in a big conference; you don't want to be a part of a one or done NCAA selection conference, because it's too hard to get there every year.

 

[Vowelguy]

Wisconsin would be a good spot to establish one's credentials as a head coach.

The thing about Wisconsin: have they ever showed any potential? If a team was once great or is in a good recruiting area, then you can see the opportunity that exists with a good coach. But it seems like WI has gone through many coaches over the years and has never had much success. Start to wonder if there are institutional issues.

 

[Icebear]

I would run as far and as fast from the UMASS job as possible.

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

The thing about Wisconsin: have they ever showed any potential? If a team was once great or is in a good recruiting area, then you can see the opportunity that exists with a good coach. But it seems like WI has gone through many coaches over the years and has never had much success. Start to wonder if there are institutional issues.

There was a time when they showed a great deal of potential. We were up for a game around 2000 - the Kohl Center was new, they were drawing (partly, because their tix were tied in with MBB and Hockey through a seat license arrangement) and things were looking good. Then, and I don't remember the details, the coach had a bad season (rebuilding?), was gone, and success has been limited since.

I don't know that Wisconsin would fit the bill for a UConn assistant, but I think its a decent opportunity for someone. The same applies out here at UofA, although we have local candidates (Lute's granddaughter has been an Assistant Coach with the Phoenix Mercury for years, and the local county community college is very strong at that level, and there are others).

 

[Joobie]

Anyone else worried about Jemelle's job? I often wonder, with the seasons they've had, how long she'll keep it.

 

[ed4ourgirls]

Anyone else worried about Jemelle's job? I often wonder, with the seasons they've had, how long she'll keep it.

On the basis of her record, one imagines that she would get the axe soon if Cincinnati cares about
women's basketball.

But if they don't care about women's basketball, Jamelle could remain almost indefinitely (the good news),
without getting much support to build the program (the bad news).

 

[Dillon77]

The thing about Wisconsin: have they ever showed any potential? If a team was once great or is in a good recruiting area, then you can see the opportunity that exists with a good coach. But it seems like WI has gone through many coaches over the years and has never had much success. Start to wonder if there are institutional issues.

Good points. You'd think Wisconsin would do well, given the success of the boy's program, but it hasn't clicked. There's talent in the state: Arike Ogunbowale is from Milwaukee. Although she left, a lot of good players do stay in state -- they just seem to play for the Green Bay Phoenix of the Horizon League. Heck, he liked it so much in Green Bay he came back for a second whirl after doing a stint at Michigan. Most of the players seem to be from Wisconsin or Minnesota.

So, getting back to Mad City, you wonder what the deal is...wrong approaches or, as you said, something institutional. Perhaps you get a coach that knows that area of the midwest and plumbs it hard....the coaches from South Dakota, South Dakota State?