I am convinced that Jenn will step into Geno's. . .

[Kibitzer]

We all seem to assume that Geno will stay at UConn for five years or so. A lot of things might happen during that period. For instance:

- The coaches mentioned by Carnac (Jabir, Walz and White) might ascend to very high levels of success.
- Marisa may get a fabulous HC opportunity (Rutgers?).
- It would be hard for Shea to refuse a generous (say, $1.5M) offer from UNC to be HC.
- Kim Barnes-Arico (Michigan), Suzie McConnell-Serio (Pitt) or Katy Maier (Miami) may develop consistent Final Four powerhouses.
- Jenn (w/hubby as Asst Coach) may be content to stay and live in Hartford.
- Sue may hang up her sneakers after 2016 Olympics (plus a farewell season in Russia), then ease into coaching as an assistant in WNBA.
- Diana will be dynamite on screen with Kara or courtside a la Doris.​

These possibilities are mere figments of my imagination - but I believe all are possible, even if remotely. Let's watch to see what unfolds.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

We all seem to assume that Geno will stay at UConn for five years or so. A lot of things might happen during that period. For instance:

- The coaches mentioned by Carnac (Jabir, Walz and White) might ascend to very high levels of success.
- Marisa may get a fabulous HC opportunity (Rutgers?).
- It would be hard for Shea to refuse a generous (say, $1.5M) offer from UNC to be HC.
- Kim Barnes-Arico (Michigan), Suzie McConnell-Serio (Pitt) or Katy Maier (Miami) may develop consistent Final Four powerhouses.
- Jenn (w/hubby as Asst Coach) may be content to stay and live in Hartford.
- Sue may hang up her sneakers after 2016 Olympics (plus a farewell season in Russia), then ease into coaching as an assistant in WNBA.
- Diana will be dynamite on screen with Kara or courtside a la Doris.​

These possibilities are mere figments of my imagination - but I believe all are possible, even if remotely. Let's watch to see what unfolds.

Sorta my point, very well illustrated.

 

[triaddukefan]

We all seem to assume that Geno will stay at UConn for five years or so. A lot of things might happen during that period. For instance:

- The coaches mentioned by Carnac (Jabir, Walz and White) might ascend to very high levels of success.
- Marisa may get a fabulous HC opportunity (Rutgers?).
- It would be hard for Shea to refuse a generous (say, $1.5M) offer from UNC to be HC.
- Kim Barnes-Arico (Michigan), Suzie McConnell-Serio (Pitt) or Katy Maier (Miami) may develop consistent Final Four powerhouses.
- Jenn (w/hubby as Asst Coach) may be content to stay and live in Hartford.
- Sue may hang up her sneakers after 2016 Olympics (plus a farewell season in Russia), then ease into coaching as an assistant in WNBA.
- Diana will be dynamite on screen with Kara or courtside a la Doris.​

These possibilities are mere figments of my imagination - but I believe all are possible, even if remotely. Let's watch to see what unfolds.

Not a chance......

 

[jdubct]

Not a chance.

Agree. What is Hatchell's current salary at UNC? Probably a lot less than $1.5 million/yr.

 

[triaddukefan]

Agree. What is Hatchell's current salary at UNC? Probably a lot less than $1.5 million/yr.

I would guess somewhere between 450-600K per year

 

[ctfjr]

I wonder if we could entice the Orange Wonder, Holly W???

 

[reno tony]

I wonder if we could entice the Orange Wonder, Holly W???

Why not just steal their future coach.... Summit. He seems like he might make a good coach.

 

[Buzzyboy]

I know we aren't supposed to go there, but ...
There has always been an interesting dynamic with Geno because he is a guy - great coaches are great coaches regardless of gender, but there is no denying that within family units, and a college basketball team is not that far removed from a family unit, there is definitely different dynamics in play between authority figures of different genders. This is especially true the younger the non-authority figures are. And the typical breakdown is stronger bonds across gender.
The Uconn situation with Geno and an almost equal CD I think has been an advantage in recruiting over the years. These young women are leaving their childhood unit for the first time in their lives and there is a certain comfort level in adopting a similar unit in college.
I don't think this means you look specifically for a male HC, but I do think you consider at least looking for a mixture of two strong candidates of different genders that can work as HC and assistant.

I think the dynamics between Geno and Chris have worked very well for the Huskies. Their personalities work so well together and of course, their individual abilities to get the most out of these young woman is off the charts! It'll be very hard to replicate this dynamic duo!

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I, like the poster above, have no idea what will happen.

I do think that no one from Geno's tree (except maybe Berube) has had great success, and I read recently how happy she was at that level. It is just proof he is unique.

While I like the coaches mentioned by many above, I don't think Jabir is a likely candidate, I think he likes the lesser pressure of a Dayton.

Otherwise, I suspect the university will, when the time comes, and possibly in consultation with Geno, select the best candidate. If it is a former player, it will be because the school thinks they can do the job based on their resume, not because they are a former player. If it is an "outsider" it will be someone with an impressive resume, I am sure.

To the person above talking about a high school coach and UT-Austin, I think you mean Oklahoma.

 

[DaddyChoc]

Shea as an "assistant coach at UCONN" may have more "head coaching" experience than many actual D1 Head coaches.

thats like the District Manager of Walmart vs the Owner/President of a Mom & Pop's store... give me Shea, the District Manager!

 

[arty155]

Jen, Shea, Marissa, DT, Sue, and Carla are all in their 30s. Please don't insult them by calling them "girls", or even worse, "ladies". They are women...

-I’ll have to disagree with use of “ladies” now being an insult.

-In this country, by definition, “lady” is commonly used as “a polite name for a women.” We need not worry about it exclusively being an insult. On the contrary, its many definitions (excerpts below) prominently include common usage as “a polite form of reference.”

-I can attest to the fact the term “boy” you mention, just like “lady,” may be used by an impolite person in such a brusque manner that is quite insulting. However, no serious person would listen if I began insisting "boy" is exclusively, or even most commonly an insulting term, that I demand everyone suddenly refrain from using. They would, I'm sure, quite correctly point out the only real problem is my misunderstanding of the word's full usage, found everywhere in dictionaries.

- We simply need not worry about "ladies" now suddenly being an insult for women, or "gentlemen" insulting men. We could honestly disagree, of course, but I think then your real disagreement would actually be with Merriam-Webster's lexicographers.

 

[VAUConnFan]

1. Willnet Crockett
2. Tamika Williams
3. Tonya Cardoza
4. Jamelle Elliot
5. Stacy Hansmeyer
6. Paige Sauer

 

[VAUConnFan]

If UConn's search extends beyond it's borders:
Niele Ivey who will, more than likely, succeed Coach McGraw. It is no coincidence that Notre Dame's recent rise coincides with her return to South Bend.

 

[Zorro]

Diana would be the perfect choice to continue the Geno legacy of hard work, basketball super-smarts, recruiting prestige, and smart-ass quips for the press and the fans BUT, as someone noted above, she might find coaching too confining for her free spirit and she would also be perfect for the broadcast booth (and a very welcome change from what we have now). I don't know if Sue would be forceful enough to be a head coach, although she certainly has the smarts. Shea's nature might be just a bit TOO forceful, but her years as a Geno AC will undoubtedly have mellowed her, so I guess I have to bet on Shea. She and Geno could recruit together right up until his retirement, with the message that the program's excellence would continue after his retirement.

 

[j66kicker]

Diana would be the perfect choice to continue the Geno legacy of hard work, basketball super-smarts, recruiting prestige, and smart-ass quips for the press and the fans BUT, as someone noted above, she might find coaching too confining for her free spirit and she would also be perfect for the broadcast booth (and a very welcome change from what we have now). I don't know if Sue would be forceful enough to be a head coach, although she certainly has the smarts. Shea's nature might be just a bit TOO forceful, but her years as a Geno AC will undoubtedly have mellowed her, so I guess I have to bet on Shea. She and Geno could recruit together right up until his retirement, with the message that the program's excellence would continue after his retirement.

I don't see Sue as the least bit timid - she has run elite teams (by definition full of egos) as PG. Very assertive as a player

 

[Zorro]

I did not mean timid; more like polite, considerate and soft-spoken. Great qualities in a person but not necessarily in a coach. And this is just a thought, and may certainly be wrong.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Why not just steal their future coach.... Summit. He seems like he might make a good coach.

Just go to his website; he'll tell you he is.

 

[UConnCat]

I did not mean timid; more like polite, considerate and soft-spoken. Great qualities in a person but not necessarily in a coach. And this is just a thought, and may certainly be wrong.

I think you are wrong on this one. Sue has no problem getting in the face of her teammates when necessary and that included All-WNBA Lauren Jackson.

 

[UcMiami]

I think you are wrong on this one. Sue has no problem getting in the face of her teammates when necessary and that included All-WNBA Lauren Jackson.

Not sure I had ever seen that video. Thanks.
And Agler defines why you want Sue on the NT even if she is no longer putting up stats comparable to other point guards available - her mind and her leadership, and her ability to solve whatever problem the team is having on the floor at any given moment.

 

[BroadwayVa]

Huge difference between Uconn and U of Hartford:
1. State flagship university vs. small private university.
2. Student undergrads - currently Uconn 18,395 vs, 5,350
3. Campus size - 4400 acres vs. 350 acres
4. Athletic budget - Lots vs. lots less!

When Geno arrived the program was small potatoes but ... it was the State school with the resources and the public support to invest in its athletic programs and, with membership in the BE, athletics exploded and would have regardless of Geno - he certainly helped a lot and specifically for the WCBB program, but that was going to happen anyway.
U of H will never greatly expand any of its athletic programs regardless of their success. The athletic budget will remain small potatoes as with almost every other small private university and their appeal to elite athletes will remain minimal regardless of who coaches them. Being stuck in the NE and specifically CT which is anything but a basketball hot bed makes recruiting even harder.[/QUOTE

Do you actually remember UConn women's basket ball before 1995?? Do you remember what women sports were in 1989?? It was cold damp Field house, ( I played there a few years before) hard long wooden seats. BUDGET??? Who are you kidding the whole Women's sports budget wasn't near .1 of the Men's basketball. Flag Ship University?? What a stretch in what world was that? Uconn still isn't seen in the same category as Duke, Stanford, MiT, Yale, academically --in terms of Basket ball then--it was a nice Yankee Conf teams. For much of the world WBB didn't exist in 1989,except for just a few of us fools with daughters.
When Geno started to put it bluntly --it was bad. No one in their right mind would have given Geno and Chris more than 2 years at UConn. WBB at Uconn had no record nothing.
Jenn had Title 9, U of H had to put SOME money into the program. She was given pretty much (with in reason) what she needed. Things Geno and Chris would loved to have had.

 

[BroadwayVa]

I think you are wrong on this one. Sue has no problem getting in the face of her teammates when necessary and that included All-WNBA Lauren Jackson.

Sue is a tough woman--even at UConn she wanted to take the winning shots--be the go to player when the chips were down. She is the glue that held the last OLYMPIC team together --and yes she was calling out anyone who didn't toe the mark!! That's OUR Sue!!!

 

[j66kicker]

I think you are wrong on this one. Sue has no problem getting in the face of her teammates when necessary and that included All-WNBA Lauren Jackson.

Great video! Loved a couple Brian Alger quotes:

"Sue Bird does her job better than anyone who has ever played the game."

"If Sue Bird is on the floor and there's any doubt about what's going on out there, get the ball to her."

And one from Sue:

"Lauren, if a play is called, run it."

 

[UcMiami]

Do you actually remember UConn women's basket ball before 1995?? Do you remember what women sports were in 1989?? It was cold damp Field house, ( I played there a few years before) hard long wooden seats. BUDGET??? Who are you kidding the whole Women's sports budget wasn't near .1 of the Men's basketball. Flag Ship University?? What a stretch in what world was that? Uconn still isn't seen in the same category as Duke, Stanford, MiT, Yale, academically --in terms of Basket ball then--it was a nice Yankee Conf teams. For much of the world WBB didn't exist in 1989,except for just a few of us fools with daughters.
When Geno started to put it bluntly --it was bad. No one in their right mind would have given Geno and Chris more than 2 years at UConn. WBB at Uconn had no record nothing.
Jenn had Title 9, U of H had to put SOME money into the program. She was given pretty much (with in reason) what she needed. Things Geno and Chris would loved to have had.

Yes I actually do, and I remember running on the indoor track when it was brand new in the 60s or early 70s - I grew up in Storrs. And watch football games from the hillside that is now the parking garage.
And that still doesn't change the fact that the University of Connecticut was by far the largest school in CT and the 'flagship' for CT. Yale is a private school in a league far above U of H which is a very small private school with decent academics that has not a lot of appeal outside of the local area.
Yes - women's athletics have been transformed since Geno started coaching, but his budget in 1989 is probably in inflation adjusted dollars not far off Jen's budget when she started coaching ten years later part time (still playing pro ball) and full time 2003. And the Hawks will never have a budget in the same universe as Uconn so there was never any chance that Jen staying at Hartford could ever expand the way Uconn did and would have done with or without Geno. And the BE would have been formed and Uconn would have become a member. And no one will every debate whether to invite U of Hartford into a league bigger than the America East.
And the environment in 1989 was very different as you point out - only perhaps 10% of D1 schools took any interest in women's athletics, and probably 5% at most took women's basketball seriously - Uconn did, even if they weren't willing to devote many resources to it. But that environment meant that there were very few schools that actually recruited nationally, so there was not much competition for NE HS basketball players. By the time Jen started coaching, the number of D1 schools taking women's athletics seriously had skyrocketed and the budgets were also in a new league. And the competition for recruits is completely different - there are very few teams that only recruit regionally any more - and most of them fall into the U of Hartford size. I suspect Jen's recruiting budget remains on par with the expense account for one of Geno's assistant coaches.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Thank God Geno does not read the BY. If he did he might feel a little dissed - win 10 and a good shot at 11 and they are lining up my replacement. What does a guy have to do for these spoiled fans!

 

[Sonny44]

Jen, Shea, Marissa, DT, Sue, and Carla are all in their 30s. Please don't insult them by calling them "girls", or even worse, "ladies". They are women. Girls are in high school and below. Once they turn 18 they are women, just as boys become men.

Give it up or get a job or something.