Who succeeds Pat?

[Icebear]

Not at all. Pure economics and savings through unified services and vastly different than being asked to coach Pat's team.

 

[attaboy]

I think it will happen in the next two years. Even though the disease is a slow burn, you still have to be able to recruit. I remember a small college a few years back in much the same situation. He was still functional but could not remember which players were in which class after only 18 months. He left in mid-season. You also have to look that recruit in the eye knowing that you will not see them graduate or even play. Tough sell.

 

[Ruffian75]

Caldwell is the logical choce

 

[Tonyc]

Ive got to wonder now that we know Pats illness, if the past 3 years underacheivment of the LVs has to do with her forgetfulness. This disease just dosnt happen, it comes along slowly. I dont think this just began to happen. I think there have been signs over the past season. Maybe that is part of the reason Micki DeMoss came back to TN.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Tony you're thinking tooooooo deep IMO... it has just been announced so lets see what happens moving forward. Who cares what happened 2, 3 yrs ago.

Im sure others who has/had a family member effected with this illness dont care to figuring out "oh maybe thats why she/he was late for her appointment in '05".

I think others have mentioned that "it doesnt normally happen at such a young age" so why would you think that it started even earlier. Maybe it actually JUST STARTED.

I think even Pat mentions that "they caught it early" (not sure who saw her sit down interview when it was announced)

 

[doggydaddy]

Tony you're thinking tooooooo deep IMO... it has just been announced so lets see what happens moving forward. Who cares what happened 2, 3 yrs ago.

Im sure others who has/had a family member effected with this illness dont care to figuring out "oh maybe thats why she/he was late for her appointment in '05".

I think others have mentioned that "it doesnt normally happen at such a young age" so why would you think that it started even earlier. Maybe it actually JUST STARTED.

I think even Pat mentions that "they caught it early" (not sure who saw her sit down interview when it was announced)

Well, clearly you don't care what happened 2-3 years ago with Pat, but just as clearly, others do.
And when you are coaching in a fishbowl, like Pat does, thinking that maybe the teams struggles the last 3 years is certainly something that can be discussed.

Maybe he thinks it started earlier based on what some perceive as unusual behavior by Pat and her teams performance of the last 3 years.

I don't pretend to know a lot about this terrible disease, but I can say that I found her cancelling of the series to be out of character for her. And her halftime speaches were a little bizarre to me.

It certainly is ok to discuss it here whether it interests you or not.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Well, clearly you don't care what happened 2-3 years ago with Pat, but just as clearly, others do.
And when you are coaching in a fishbowl, like Pat does, thinking that maybe the teams struggles the last 3 years is certainly something that can be discussed.

Maybe he thinks it started earlier based on what some perceive as unusual behavior by Pat and her teams performance of the last 3 years.

I don't pretend to know a lot about this terrible disease, but I can say that I found her cancelling of the series to be out of character for her. And her halftime speaches were a little bizarre to me.

It certainly is ok to discuss it here whether it interests you or not.

still... my opinion stands!

 

[Ruffian75]

And her halftime speaches were a little bizarre to me.

.

To me, her halftime speeches have been the same for the last 15 years. I did notice last season though that she seemed to be a little out of sorts from time to time on the sideline

 

[doggydaddy]

still... my opinion stands!

What the heck does that mean?

 

[Icebear]

DC, the norm from onset of the disease to diagnosis is 3-3.5 years. So Tony's assumption is right in the wheelhouse of that number. Alzheimers is not a disease that comes on overnight. It is a progressive ailment that has a less than linear path that includes periods of seeming remission and, also, times of plateau and then times where larger changes can occur in relatively a short time. The predictability of the illness is that no two cases are alike but that there are large overall patterns. Earlier in the thread I posted links to information including some from the Mayo Clinic where Pat was diagnosed. Unfortunately it is information I have known about for too long since my father-in-law had Alzheimers and died from related issues more than 7 years ago.

 

[DaddyChoc]

DC, the norm from onset of the disease to diagnosis is 3-3.5 years. So Tony's assumption is right in the wheelhouse of that number. Alzheimers is not a disease that comes on overnight. It is a progressive ailment that has a less than linear path that includes periods of seeming remission and, also, times of plateau and then times where larger changes can occur in relatively a short time. The predictability of the illness is that no two cases are alike but that there are large overall patterns. Earlier in the thread I posted links to information including some from the Mayo Clinic where Pat was diagnosed. Unfortunately it is information I have known about for too long since my father-in-law had Alzheimers and died from related issues more than 7 years ago.

I totally understand what you're say Ice, personal experience and research. Others are just "assuming" over and over and over again.
Im just saying lets see what happens going forward... shoot she won 2 titles with this illness if we want to talk about 3-5yrs ago.
Ice thanks for providing me with some facts!

 

[Waquoit]

I just can't see her making it past this year, especially since her condition is now public. It's heartbreaking. Have you heard about Glen Campbell. He has the same disease and he is out on his "final" tour.

 

[doggydaddy]

I totally understand what you're say Ice, personal experience and research. Others are just "assuming" over and over and over again.
Im just saying lets see what happens going forward... shoot she won 2 titles with this illness if we want to talk about 3-5yrs ago.
Ice thanks for providing me with some facts!

My point wasn't about winning and losing. Parker can erase a world of possible bad coaching.

My point was her bizarre and out of character behavior in dropping Uconn, reporting them to the NCAA and weird behavior on the sidelines at times. And certainly this Senior class has underperformed and maybe but just maybe, her illsness had something to do with that.

You can disagree, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a possiblilty.

 

[Icebear]

My point wasn't about winning and losing. Parker can erase a world of possible bad coaching.

My point was her bizarre and out of character behavior in dropping Uconn, reporting them to the NCAA and weird behavior on the sidelines at times. And certainly this Senior class has underperformed and maybe but just maybe, her illsness had something to do with that.

You can disagree, but it doesn't change the fact that this is a possiblilty.

Paranoia is one characteristic of Alzheimers and related dementias. I am not sure, however, if what your suggesting fits or not, but it could well fit, maybe not.

 

[UConner]

Maybe you didn't see this but it a quote from Kara Lawson that was in the Courant:

"I've spent a great deal of time with Coach the last year and a half, probably five months down in Knoxville," Lawson said Wednesday after a Connecticut Sun practice. "We knew something was wrong. We just didn't know what it was."

 

[Icebear]

Maybe you didn't see this but it a quote from Kara Lawson that was in the Courant:

"I've spent a great deal of time with Coach the last year and a half, probably five months down in Knoxville," Lawson said Wednesday after a Connecticut Sun practice. "We knew something was wrong. We just didn't know what it was."

That is an extremely normal comment from someone close to a person dealing with dementia. It is very telling about the situation. For a long time people simply sense something is off, something is different. Sometimes people chalk it up to the stress of the job or stress of a key relationship, etc. Sometimes it is simply new behaviors, such as personal sloppiness of a usually well kept individual. Things just seem off but often not so off they need addressing.

 

[DaddyChoc]

That is an extremely normal comment from someone close to a person dealing with dementia. It is very telling about the situation. For a long time people simply sense something is off, something is different. Sometimes people chalk it up to the stress of the job or stress of a key relationship, etc. Sometimes it is simply new behaviors, such as personal sloppiness of a usually well kept individual. Things just seem off but often not so off they need addressing.

exactly... like not winning games or huddles and substitutions.

laying in bed when you should be at an important meeting or calling Kara "Vicki" (not saying she did) is when things should be addressed!

 

[Icebear]

It's not that simple, DC, because the sooner it is addressed the better since drugs like Aracept can only slow the progression and the earlier they are used the more maximum mental health they can maintain. Plus like all meds, some help some and not others and some folks have side effects and not others. But the sooner intervention and diagnosis occurs the better.

 

[connboy77]

Doesn't matter who replaces Pat. They are just another program the minute she hangs it up.

Let me ask you this, if Geno retired would UCONN become just another program? I think not! UCONN would still be a great program just like Tennessee would still be a great program if Pat retired.

 

[Phil]

Let me ask you this, if Geno retired would UCONN become just another program? I think not! UCONN would still be a great program just like Tennessee would still be a great program if Pat retired.

UConn might be able to continue on, and will obviously try to do so, but the odds ar against it.

 

[semper]

I was thinking along the lines of Tony, but just didn't dare say anything. There has been a great deal of fairly bizarre behaviour. I won't add up my many impressions, but any one who has been following the game can do so. I remember this past year that several people mentioned, for example, how very different Pat looked, even that. So it's an awful situation, and just because we can see things in retrospect has nothing to do with disrespect for Pat and her countless achievements.

 

[Icebear]

I was thinking along the lines of Tony, but just didn't dare say anything. There has been a great deal of fairly bizarre behaviour. I won't add up my many impressions, but any one who has been following the game can do so. I remember this past year that several people mentioned, for example, how very different Pat looked, even that. So it's an awful situation, and just because we can see things in retrospect has nothing to do with disrespect for Pat and her countless achievements.

+1

 

[connboy77]

UConn might be able to continue on, and will obviously try to do so, but the odds ar against it.

Phil, I'm not so sure that the odds are against UCONN still being a great program, especially if someone like Jen Rizzotti became the new coach. UCONN is a marquis name among recruits, so I don't think recruiting will suffer very much if at all. I know Geno might be the greatest coach ever in Women's Basketball, but I feel UCONN would still win their share of National Championships.

 

[itsasport]

I think that both teams will do quite well after Pat and Geno are gone. As previously mentioned there is the fan support and school funding. The great tradition that the two coaches created will not disappear after they are gone. Many great players will still be growing up wanting to wear Tenn and UConn colors. There will be great coaches to recruit and train them, particularly concerning UConn. There's Jen; and, wouldn't everyone love to see Shea strutting onto the court? As a head coach,she would have a scary,beautiful presence. (And she looks immeasurably better in high heals than does Geno- I'm just guessing.) Both those ladies could continue the Geno "method" and then some.

I think that after Pat, Tenn will do particularly well. First, while Pat has the great name for recruiting, I think that her replacement should be a better coach regarding training and game tactics. I have felt that she was responsible for the under-performance of her teams, considering their talents.

But, most important to maintaining the "brands" for both schools is that after Pat, the Tenn-Uconn games(s) will be resumed. That game kept both programs on a pedestal above other WCBB teams. Even when the talent on either team temporarily dropped below that of other programs, that game allowed each to pull it back up in succeeding recruitment years. It won't suck the air out of the rest of women's basketball (which is a good thing.) But, I think that it will likely become THE GAME again ( especially if ESPN has any say in the matter.)

 

[VAMike23]

I think that the best way for Geno to maximize chances for continued success at UCONN after he leaves--and by continued success I mean a program that contends for the NC most years--is not to leave unless the cupboard is really full.

Say in 10 years we hit upon another similar situation where we have players at a level like KML, Moriah, Breanna Stewart, potentially a Diamond, etc. all coming in. (OK, maybe not a group like that, but something close to it!!) Once they are all on campus, Geno could retire and whoever comes after could realistically win another NC or possibly two with that kind of talent. If the successor coach can at least get one NC under his/her belt with the talent that Geno has brought in , it will make a big difference on the recruiting trail. It won't be the same after Geno leaves, but getting that first NC post-Geno will be the big kahuna. Get it, and UCONN could have a shot at still being UCONN after Geno.