Coaches on Retirement Watch

[Plebe]

And yet there are no retirement rumors about Geno. I guess that one little year does make a difference in this case after all.

An odd question, in a thread specifically devoted to retirement speculation. Will you demand evidence next? I merely offered a speculation. No factual claims were made, other than the difference in age. If you disagree with the inference that Geno might surpass Tara’s record if he retires later than her, feel free to elaborate.

I only asked because you used these "rumors" to back your claim that a one-year age difference confers a significant "advantage" for Geno. So apparently you agree that the claim was baseless to begin with. Glad we could agree on that.

I already said the record will end up belonging to whoever coaches longer.

 

[Bone Dog]

I only asked because you used these "rumors" to back your claim that a one-year age difference confers a significant "advantage" for Geno. So apparently you agree that the claim was baseless to begin with. Glad we could agree on that.

I already said the record will end up belonging to whoever coaches longer.

What we agree on is that if Geno retires later, he will have the record. The only claim I made is that Geno is younger, and as far as I know this is not baseless.

Don’t worry, I realize you want to suggest that I don’t know what Tara really thinks, that rumors are unreliable, etc. I don’t disagree with any of this. But strangely you have latched on to the notion that it’s a baseless claim to think that being younger might influence when people decide to retire, or that coaching a few years longer might be advantageous in the pursuit of a record. You can champion the contrary of either of these positions if you like. They’re all yours.

In fact, I have no idea why you’re arguing at all. Especially since you share my opinion, as you’ve already admitted.

 

[DefenseBB]

I too was wondering what prompted BBall to create this thread-did they hear a pundit or announcer mention retirement or was it simply an inspirational curiosity? I have seen 4 interviews with Tara this year and not once did the interviewer nor did Tara talk about "retirement". I agree with @Vowelguy that Tara stays on as she likes a challenge, is utlra competitive and will want to see how Stanford does in the ACC. I also think the travel will be brutal. Stanford does lose Brink but will still have Iriafen who has blossomed into a great player. I have heard Geno say when he feels he is done, he doesn't care about wins and will simply retire. Please NO MORE "Who replaces Geno" threads this year! I get tired of this pathetic attempt at speculation.

That said, I think @bballnut90 missed the most obvious person to retire this year in Joe McKeown at Northwestern who will be 68 in May and whose team is simply dreadful. With Oregon, Washington, UCLA and USC all arriving next year, the Nonwestern AD may have to "nudge" Joe but the time has come for Mr. McKeown to ride off into that good night and celebrate his wonderful career at GW and NU. Heck with Bruno also needing to move on, the two of them could start playing all the quality golf courses in the Chicago Area together. Then, in a few years, invite Geno out for golf trip.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I too was wondering what prompted BBall to create this thread-did they hear a pundit or announcer mention retirement or was it simply an inspirational curiosity? I have seen 4 interviews with Tara this year and not once did the interviewer nor did Tara talk about "retirement". I agree with @Vowelguy that Tara stays on as she likes a challenge, is utlra competitive and will want to see how Stanford does in the ACC. I also think the travel will be brutal. Stanford does lose Brink but will still have Iriafen who has blossomed into a great player.

While she's said nothing about retirement it's going to be sooner than later, plus she doesn't strike me as a coach who is interested in adapting to a world of portal and NIL. I have no inside information at all but just a hunch.

She may coach beyond this season but I just don't see her sticking around much longer than a couple of years. Saban at Bama didn't give any real hints at retirement before the announcement and neither did Roy Williams but both stepped away when they were ready and I just think Tara will go the same way.

 

[Vowelguy]

McKeoen should’ve retired several years ago. Great run but things have gone south lately.

Funny everybody talks about Tara but no mention of Geno. Who’s to say he doesn’t retire soon? With the grind of the last few years and grandkids, maybe he’s getting tired. I think the recent younger players needing teaching has reinvigorated him a little, and I don’t think he leaves with Paige around. But he also has a sense of history, and if he wins one more, I think he could retire on the spot.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Brink is no more officially "gone" than Clark, Bueckers, Reese, etc. She could come back for another year, just like those others. On the topic of speculation, I see quite a bit of speculation about some of those other superstars returning for a 5th year.

 

[dabears17]

I don't think she does (or should) get credit for those. Wikipedia gives credit to Amy Tucker/Marianne Stanley.

Not saying she deserves official credit for those games, but it should be acknowledged she gave up 29 wins to dedicate to the greater good for the 1996 Olympic team, whose success lead to the start of the ABL and WNBA.

Though it is interesting that Geno gets credit for a handful of wins for games he wasn’t at.

I respect what Geno has done at UConn and for women‘s basketball Respect increased immensely when I saw him spend a few moments talking to a young UConn fan and give her an autograph at Maples after the postgame presser when Stanford broke the streak.

 

[Vowelguy]

Not saying she deserves official credit for those games, but it should be acknowledged she gave up 29 wins to dedicate to the greater good for the 1996 Olympic team, whose success lead to the start of the ABL and WNBA.

Though it is interesting that Geno gets credit for a handful of wins for games he wasn’t at.

.

Please stop with the insinuations.

It is the NCAA rule.
If you step away from the team for a season then it's not your team and your fill-in gets the W/Ls.
If you are out sick mid-season and miss a few, those games DO count towards your record.
This applies to ALL COACHES not just Geno. And there are many such examples.

 

[dabears17]

Please stop with the insinuations.

It is the NCAA rule.
If you step away from the team for a season then it's not your team and your fill-in gets the W/Ls.
If you are out sick mid-season and miss a few, those games DO count towards your record.
This applies to ALL COACHES not just Geno. And there are many such examples.

Poor choice of words on my part. Both coaches have done a lot for the game and I think the fans of both teams care more about the all time wins than the coaches. Geno, Tara, and Pat have annoyed each other‘s fan bases at times, but they all have done a lot to grow the game over the past 30+ years.

My daughter played on a 3rd/4th grade All-star team with a UConn commit so I”m looking forward to watching UConn play the next four seasons and am planning on catching a game or two in person during her career.

I was becoming a UConn fan before I moved to California and actually the first women’s college game I saw in person was UConn vs. Western Kentucky in Palo Alto in 1996.

Forgive me for mourning a bit that between what IMO was a combination of injuries and some chemistry issues resulting from Tara being gone a season contributed to Stanford having some down years 1998-2003.

 

[visitingcock]

How is one year of age relevant to this case? It's gonna come down to who stays on longer. Even if Geno manages to overtake Tara while they're both still active, she would easily retake the lead in less than one season if he steps down first.

Well, men have a shorter life expectancy. So, if both refuse to retire, the odds favor Tara.

(Half joke)

 

[Plebe]

Forgive me for mourning a bit that between what IMO was a combination of injuries and some chemistry issues resulting from Tara being gone a season contributed to Stanford having some down years 1998-2003.

Just a friendly suggestion. Rather than remain salty dwelling on a few “down years” from 25 years ago, why not think positive thoughts in celebration of Tara's long and successful career.

 

[The deacon]

Furthermore, since women live longer than men, on average, a 70 year-old man is closer to death than a 70 year-old woman.

Yikes, this 74-year-old guy doesn't like reading that, even if it is the 'average!' I'm guessing Geno isn't feeling any different than I am...

 

[The deacon]

Well, men have a shorter life expectancy. So, if both refuse to retire, the odds favor Tara.

(Half joke)

Let's take this in another direction, please!

 

[The deacon]

I think Tara keeps going. What else is she going to do?

I'll give Tara more credit than that. I suspect a 70-year-old woman with the savvy and energy she's shown for so many years has plenty of other interests we don't know about... I'm not predicting her imminent retirement, but I can speak for the virtues of retirement.

 

[Jim]

Geno will retire when Chris Dailey says it is time. They came in together and will go out together.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I'll give Tara more credit than that. I suspect a 70-year-old woman with the savvy and energy she's shown for so many years has plenty of other interests we don't know about... I'm not predicting her imminent retirement, but I can speak for the virtues of retirement.

She's an avid water skiier isn't she? And her mom is still pretty feisty, she'd have more time to spend hanging out w/ mom in Colorado.

 

[LETTERL]

I'll give Tara more credit than that. I suspect a 70-year-old woman with the savvy and energy she's shown for so many years has plenty of other interests we don't know about... I'm not predicting her imminent retirement, but I can speak for the virtues of retirement.

My countdown clock is at 1468 days. Can't wait!

 

[MSSportsGuy]

If I had the finances to retire and never work a real job again I'd do it tomorrow. To me the primary reason to work is to pay bills and hopefully get a sense of fulfillment in the process. Granted I don't have a career that necessarily feels like a higher calling and I also am far better off financially than many people but would hang it up if I could afford it. I had some pretty significant health challenges in 2018 that gave me my first real taste of mortality. I'm lucky to have received excellent care and also be employed by an organization that was patient and understanding, plus offered generous health and illness related benefits. However, it also changed how I feel about work and I'm far younger than the coaches mentioned in this post.

Tara will pass Coach K in a matter of days. Even if she coaches beyond Geno, she won't equal or pass his number of NCs. I like Tara a lot as a coach and respect what she's done for so long but she is likely the third name on the list of greatest WCBB coaches even if she is around another ten years (which is an incredible place to be).

My point, and strictly my opinion, is work as long as you want but don't be afraid to step away and enjoy a high quality of life with family and friends while you have your health if you can afford it.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I'll give Tara more credit than that. I suspect a 70-year-old woman with the savvy and energy she's shown for so many years has plenty of other interests we don't know about... I'm not predicting her imminent retirement, but I can speak for the virtues of retirement.

I don't think I'll ever completely retire, but I'm immensely looking forward to a move to NYC when I retire from my current employer of 30 years in a few more years.

 

[The deacon]

My countdown clock is at 1468 days. Can't wait!

I don't think I'll ever completely retire, but I'm immensely looking forward to a move to NYC when I retire from my current employer of 30 years in a few more years.

Don't hurry it along, LETTERL, it'll get here quickly enough.

Good luck, cockhrnleghrn. Maybe we'll see you at some Huskies games in a few years?

By the way, yes, I'm retired, but I'm busy as heck. The difference these days is I pursue my activities when I choose to do them, and I'm not getting paid anymore.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Don't hurry it along, LETTERL, it'll get here quickly enough.

Good luck, cockhrnleghrn. Maybe we'll see you at some Huskies games in a few years?

By the way, yes, I'm retired, but I'm busy as heck. The difference these days is I pursue my activities when I choose to do them, and I'm not getting paid anymore.

I have family connections to Columbia U, so they're the most likely team for me to support when I move, plus I generally consider Rutgers to be my second team in all sports since I grew up near their campus. Of course, that hour train ride would prevent going to all of their games like I do South Carolina games, now. I'm still going to keep my SCWBB season tickets, though.

 

[The deacon]

I have family connections to Columbia U, so they're the most likely team for me to support when I move, plus I generally consider Rutgers to be my second team in all sports since I grew up near their campus. Of course, that hour train ride would prevent going to all of their games like I do South Carolina games, now. I'm still going to keep my SCWBB season tickets, though.

My Mom went to Columbia, but that was back in the day of two-handed set shots.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

My Mom went to Columbia, but that was back in the day of two-handed set shots.

My dad was born in Morningside Heights and my cousin was chair of the History Dept. When I pull for teams, I like to have some sort of connection to them.

My mom played HS basketball in Washington Heights back when they still only played halfcourt.

 

[oldhusky]

What we agree on is that if Geno retires later, he will have the record. The only claim I made is that Geno is younger, and as far as I know this is not baseless.

Don’t worry, I realize you want to suggest that I don’t know what Tara really thinks, that rumors are unreliable, etc. I don’t disagree with any of this. But strangely you have latched on to the notion that it’s a baseless claim to think that being younger might influence when people decide to retire, or that coaching a few years longer might be advantageous in the pursuit of a record. You can champion the contrary of either of these positions if you like. They’re all yours.

In fact, I have no idea why you’re arguing at all. Especially since you share my opinion, as you’ve already admitted.

Just trying to add a couple of things to the points both of you have made. Of course Tara got ahead of Geno because of an earlier career start. In general, Geno has been cutting into that lead gradually over time, because although both have had remarkable records, Geno's winning percentage was still better and he kept getting closer, within a couple of games I believe, and then we had the injury streak for the third year in a row and Tara has expanded her margin.

Obviously how far you go in the tournament makes a big difference, and this year I don't know which team has the edge there. With Brink presumably departing I wonder if Stanford can stay near the top, and on paper Uconn could be very good depending on many things, but of course that was true the last three years too. Uconn takes on a very tough out of conference schedule but Stanford will have more in conference competition, so the race between then could be interesting for several more years IMO.

 

[Charliebball]

what will happen first......Geno and Tara will retire or Dawn will get a job coaching in the NBA?