ESPN Speculation on Who Might Replace Geno and Others...

[mbr33ct]

There are literally a boatload of UConn insiders, and Geno will have an extremely important say in who replaces him. I cannot imagine any circumstance where Duffy or any other outsider would even be considered.

Don't forget about me. My name seems to always be available for these occasions.

 

[huskeynut]

I am actually surprised that nobody mentioned Jen Rizzotti..

This might seem far fetched but I think Dee could be a very good coach if she wanted to. Dee would bring every top player to Uconn on her name alone. Hell she is probably doing that now...

Bubble bursting time -

Jen's record as a head coach has been a mixed bag. Career at Hartford was 316 - 216. So far at GW its 49 - 43.

As for D, this has been debated for a while now. Point one, a great player, and D is, does not always make a very good to great coach. Great players cannot always convey the basic points of the game to young players. Coaching is a different skill set from playing. Two - recruiting off your name is a poor way to maintain a high quality program. Three - D, as with Sue, has made it clear she does not want to coach.

 

[Plebe]

I like the idea of an ND alum replacing Geno. Seems like ESPN knows what its doing.

Hell no. Dunce cap for the ESPN writer.

 

[Urshurak]

I still think Lobo after Geno retires. Got a gut feeling. But....she has no College coaching experience, so might be a stretch. So maybe Shea. My .02

 

[DeeHusky]

I think it’s a great idea to have conversations like this. In the men’s game you get news everyday. In the women’s game, you’re constantly refreshing your news feed waiting for something to happen.


1) Dee does not want to be a coach. She has stated that she wants to own a team or be a GM rather than coach.
2) I think Shea Ralph is clearly the successor in my honest opinion.

 

[oldude]

I still think Lobo after Geno retires. Got a gut feeling. But....she has no College coaching experience, so might be a stretch. So maybe Shea. My .02

I have always felt that Rebecca would be an outstanding choice to replace Geno for a number of reasons. While Rebecca does not have coaching experience, unless we include coaching her daughters teams, she is extremely knowledgeable about basketball. If she could hold onto Shea as her Associate HC, that would maintain continuity and coaching experience.

Rebecca has played and been successful at every level, and she has been very close to Geno and the UConn program for almost 30 years. During that period of time, Rebecca has probably learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t.

Most importantly, Rebecca is one of the most visible and respected individuals in WBB. For any coach who succeeds a legend like Geno, the biggest single challenge will be to continue to bring in top recruits. UConn does not have the advantage of being a member of a P5 program. Many folks assume that once Geno retires, UConn WBB will fade into mid-major oblivion.

There will likely be only one opportunity to hire another legend that might just be able to continue the remarkable success of UConn WBB. Names like Sue, DT and Maya come to mind. So too does Rebecca, who already lives in CT and would, imo be the best choice to take on the enormous challenge of replacing Geno.

 

[jsloanjr]

IMHO, Geno will step aside when his Restaurant Empire needs his full time managing or his health is falling. I don't expect either of those things anytime soon. COVID-19 will have a huge lasting effect on us all especially big time BB schools like UCONN when revenue dries up and coaches cannot get their huge $$……..Remember, Football drives the Major College bus and when that stops, so does the rest of college sports.

 

[WFFL]

One cannot defeat father time . This article was dumb though , i feel like Geno is going to coach til he starts to leak spaghetti .

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Dee says she wants to own a team, not coach it. I'm sure the Guv would be glad to sell her the team as long as it would keep playing at the XL Center.

 

[uconnfan68]

For any coach who succeeds a legend like Geno, the biggest single challenge will be to continue to bring in top recruits. UConn does not have the advantage of being a member of a P5 program. Many folks assume that once Geno retires, UConn WBB will fade into mid-major oblivion.

The Big East might be offended by the mid-major label... but they aren't P-5, and that money will always drive the bus.

 

[CL82]

The Big East might be offended by the mid-major label... but they aren't P-5, and that money will always drive the bus.

Of course not because the P5 is a football term. The Big East is considered part of the basketball "P6" such as it is, but you are right that football drives the bus.

 

[ochoopsfan]

How can the leader not be Tony C?

 

[EdSaid]

Is the assistant coach always best?

When UMass coach John Calipari was sneaking out the back door, cuz the police were coming in the front door after 95-96 season, UMass promoted Assistant Bruiser Flint. Bruiser had some depth coming back and made the NCAA tournament the first two years. In 25 years since, UMass has seen 5 coaches and 3 trips to the NCAA tournament. Mediocre at best.
Would UMass have done better spending some money and bringing in a named head coach? Probably. Its easier to keep a program at the top when it is at the top as opposed to rebuilding.

I'm not trying to compare Geno to Calipari. (not trying to compare Bruiser and Shea either) Geno has far better integrity and has always done it the right way. They were both young, brash Italian assistant coaches from Pennsylvania who were given a chance.

After Calipari robbed the NBA and went back to college coaching he has never missed the post season at Memphis and Kentucky. He also leads the league in one-and-dones.

 

[bluedevil]

The only thing that is 100 per cent certain re: the next coach is that he/she will be second guessed ad nauseam by the BY....

 

[Steelerone]

Agreed that it's a ridiculous article but it is some food for thought at to what happens when Geno does decide to hang it up. I've always felt that a great program, in the final analysis, is as much determined by the school as the coach. North Carolina, Duke, Kentucky, these schools have had great coaches but when they left the programs remained viable. Yes, Geno has been responsible for the climb to greatness but with the framework and following the team now has I firmly believe that the program can now stand on it's own.

 

[HopJim]

Contrarian view - When Geno retires, an outsider will be picked. Geno turns soft and doesn't want to hurt the feelings of those alums he didn't pick.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Definitely a slow news cycle. Father Time is undefeated and one day all of these coaches will step down by choice or by force. I actually respect the way Muffet stepped aside while she still appears to have some health and energy to do something else and think more coaches (thinking Paterno and Bowden in football) should consider this in their final years.

geno will get the opportunity to select his successor if he chooses. He may pass. Shea is the logical choice but the logical choice isn’t always the right one (Warlick). Paye is the logical choice at Stanford as well but there is no way to predict how ADs Will think or behave.

thesw articles dont bother me too much now because as we know, there is nothing else going on. I’ll cling to whatever sports news gets out there.

 

[j66kicker]

Contrarian view - When Geno retires, an outsider will be picked. Geno turns soft and doesn't want to hurt the feelings of those alums he didn't pick.

geno will get the opportunity to select his successor if he chooses. He may pass. Shea is the logical choice but the logical choice isn’t always the right one (Warlick). Paye is the logical choice at Stanford as well but there is no way to predict how ADs Will think or behave.

thesw articles dont bother me too much now because as we know, there is nothing else going on. I’ll cling to whatever sports news gets out there.

Having Geno pick his successor is really bad business. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Actually I think he is smart enough to know this, even if he (unfortunately) did have this opportunity.

 

[Woof 101]

But UConn is a one coach legacy program now. One wrong hire and it could be hard to get back.

They really don't stand a chance of getting a good coach or maintaining what they have. This according to your avatar.

After JC picking KO, I’m not sure UConn wants to be in that position again.

JC did not pick KO he shoved him down the AD's throat or up his back side as many would have seen it. He ran a simple back door play and left Warde with no defense with the timing. Many close to the program saw this coming, it was wide open obvious.
There was to be a committee and many weighing in on a new coach but Jim was Jim and made the choice that actually again tarnished his legacy......

 

[uconnfan68]

They really don't stand a chance of getting a good coach or maintaining what they have. This according to your avatar.

I loved the KO pick until I didn’t. I think his divorce did him in.

 

[CL82]

Having Geno pick his successor is really bad business. Hopefully that doesn't happen. Actually I think he is smart enough to know this, even if he (unfortunately) did have this opportunity.

Is it though? Who else do you trust more? It provides continuity and a link to alumni. Yeah, it’s seldom works out, but I understand the reasons why people do it.

 

[oldude]

Is it though? Who else do you trust more? It provides continuity and a link to alumni. Yeah, it’s seldom works out, but I understand the reasons why people do it.

While I don’t think that Geno would necessarily “pick his successor”, UConn’s AD will almost certainly lean on Geno for his advice and recommendation. Whoever his successor is, I would also hope that UConn keeps Geno around in some official capacity, much the same as UCLA did with John Wooden after he stepped away from coaching. I would like to believe that any coach who steps into the UConn WBB HC job would love to have Geno around as a sounding board.

 

[hjoerring]

As a conversation piece I do not see much to take issues -- Shea is the presumed front runner until she isn't. (of course by assoc.) I do not know his 2nd pick and arguing that she knows the BE is weak. So, why she is there is worth a good look. Personally, I am surprise that Marissa M is sent to RU and not Uconn. I would put her in the mix with Shea. I find all the talks about Diana and Sue (to a lesser extent) absurd.Where have they expressed interest in Wbb at the college level? And if you can forced a 'maybe' out of them (after some good wine) what about their spouses? No 2 for 1 here. Why in the world would Rebecca tackle a coaching job?

What I'm surprised about is that people ignored the major thesis of the problem regarding Uconn- you are not only replacing a coaching icon, you are doing that at the same time that your conference resurfaces as an issue. I think it was accepted that the American Conf would not be of help- now or later. But what about the BE? This is where ND is lucky. ND can recover should Ivey not succeed right away. There we are talking about School and Conf.
A confession: I'm not a fan of money in college sports, so I'd rather hang out in the BE than the ACC, if only for principles. So, the BE should kick a Georgetown and one or two more schools in the ass to be the Stanford of the East. I have never understood their problems, even during my Uconn days. I won't hold my breath, so others should talk Princeton to leave the Ivy and join the BE and become their Stanford. And why not dust off a school like Old Dominion? They were once great nd they are good in hockey and play some sports in the BE. Perhaps they do not have MBB!

As for Geno's replacement: Shea and M. Mosely (the latter as head and the former as assoc. Wasn't Mosely responsible for finding Molly.); or, raid the WNBA. Minn has a few of our players, perhaps she might be willing to take over and continue the 'plug-in and play' style of excellence! Why not Sheryl?

P.S: a closer look shows that much of the above have received coverage-- I read too hastily. I still like this fantasy thing about Princeton. It would really shake things up. And most Ivy students are on some form of scholarship/aid. Schools like Stanford, ND, Duke and others would face stiffer competition for the students who want academic and sports.

 

[Steelerone]

I have always felt that Rebecca would be an outstanding choice to replace Geno for a number of reasons. While Rebecca does not have coaching experience, unless we include coaching her daughters teams, she is extremely knowledgeable about basketball. If she could hold onto Shea as her Associate HC, that would maintain continuity and coaching experience.

Rebecca has played and been successful at every level, and she has been very close to Geno and the UConn program for almost 30 years. During that period of time, Rebecca has probably learned a few things about what works and what doesn’t.

Most importantly, Rebecca is one of the most visible and respected individuals in WBB. For any coach who succeeds a legend like Geno, the biggest single challenge will be to continue to bring in top recruits. UConn does not have the advantage of being a member of a P5 program. Many folks assume that once Geno retires, UConn WBB will fade into mid-major oblivion.

There will likely be only one opportunity to hire another legend that might just be able to continue the remarkable success of UConn WBB. Names like Sue, DT and Maya come to mind. So too does Rebecca, who already lives in CT and would, imo be the best choice to take on the enormous challenge of replacing Geno.

Oldude, I agree with you on just about every point you make about Rebecca. And that is probably the reason I sort of disagree with you and the others who think she would make a great coach. As a coach, in order to be successful, you must have a certain amount of "cold blood" in you that allows you to make decisions that you know will impact individuals and families in negative ways in areas like recruiting and playing time. Perhaps she could handle these areas but I don't believe her heart would be in it just because of the person she is. Just my opinion.

 

[UConnCat]

Geno has said he wants no part of picking his successor. He said that in March 2019 at the regionals in Albany:

“I really would have no opinion on that because maybe a bunch of my assistants would want that job, or former assistants,” he said. “So I think it's hard for a person in our situation to say ‘I'm going to hand pick the next coach.’ Anybody who has tried to do that has not really done a good job with it. I don't know what the answer is. I just know that whoever does step into those situations does not have it easy, not at all, especially if [the previous coach] is still around the program and there’s still a connection to the program, because you're always going to be measured against that. I don't know how you can function in that kind of environment.”

The job will be left to the AD. I can not imagine Benedict (or whoever it is) going outside the program. UConn won't be in a position to afford a big-time coach and no big-time coach would want to succeed Geno. It will likely be Shea.