This is from Dick Rockne over at the PI, and the article deals with the type of person they are looking for to lead the womens basketball program. I like Ty Willingham, but I find it funny that he is none of the things listed below, yet they fired a winning coach because she didn't have enough charisma.Why is it so important to have a coach with charisma in a sport where no matter how well they do, they never have a chance to break even financially? At the same time you have a coach who runs the departments cash cow football program who does not seem to possess any of those attributes?
I hate to be critical, but does Todd Turner realize the can of worms he is opening up here?
Shouldn't Willingham be judged by the same standards as June Daugherty? When exactly is Ty going to open up his program to the fans, and the press?
When is Ty Willingham going to reach out to the community? When is he going to create some excitement that extends beyond the playing field?
Most importantly, when is Todd Turner going to demand it?
More than anything else, the next women's basketball coach at Washington will be someone willing to devote considerable time and effort into public relations as a way to revitalize the program.
That's the message an advisory committee and a cadre of former players said must be the No. 1 trait athletic director Todd Turner considers in his hunt for June Daugherty's replacement, said Rhonda Smith Banchero, the only person affiliated with both groups."It must be a coach who has a lot of high energy and is willing to become ingratiated into all facets of the community," Smith Banchero said Friday. She played from 1992-95 and is second on the Huskies' career scoring list.
"That's probably the No. 1 thing -- making sure the program is more visible as a basketball team in the community."
Most importantly, when is Todd Turner going to demand it?
More than anything else, the next women's basketball coach at Washington will be someone willing to devote considerable time and effort into public relations as a way to revitalize the program.
That's the message an advisory committee and a cadre of former players said must be the No. 1 trait athletic director Todd Turner considers in his hunt for June Daugherty's replacement, said Rhonda Smith Banchero, the only person affiliated with both groups."It must be a coach who has a lot of high energy and is willing to become ingratiated into all facets of the community," Smith Banchero said Friday. She played from 1992-95 and is second on the Huskies' career scoring list.
"That's probably the No. 1 thing -- making sure the program is more visible as a basketball team in the community."
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You cannot compare Daugherty and Willingham. Daugherty was left a program that was in great condition. Tyrone game into a program that was in shambles. June let the program slip during her tenure. Tyrone's job is to bring the program back to the top of the pac-10.
Hi Christopher, thanks for reading, and contributing to the blog.
I have to agree to a certain extent, the difference of course is length of tenure, and of course the condition of the program when Ty arrived which was probably lower than when Jim Owens took over in the late 1950's.
Getting back to Daugherty, she had eleven years, and the program was treading water at an acceptable, but not elite level...so I agree with Turner, it was time for a change.
As I said earlier in the post, I like Ty, and I think he was definitely the right choice, at the right time. If I had a kid talented enough to play Divison One football I would be thrilled to have him mentored by a man like Ty Willingham.
That being said he still has a few things personally to work on that would help the program as a whole.
The one area that most insiders, boosters, the press, and even common fans are dissapointed in is the teams disconnect from the community under during his tenure.
The point I, and columnists at the newspapers are trying to make is that the verbiage being used to describe the type of qualities they are looking for in a coach, and that transends to all coaching positions at the school, don't seem to apply to Willingham when it comes to the very important area of creating a positive buzz in the community that sells tickets for a team that is slowly working its way back to repectabilty.
The two most succesful coaches in the history of the program, Coach Owens, and Coach James sold the product to not only the recruits, but the community as a whole, and I feel this is an area that Ty needs to work on.
With Owens, and James the community, and fan base felt they were part of the team...not so much currently under Willingham. That type of buzz by the way helps keep local talent home.
If that is part of the criteria for women's basketball, it should most certainly be part of the criteria for Husky Football.
Hi Chris and, like HIE, I agree for the most part. I just don't have the same personal attachment to the women's basketball program, that I feel for the football program and am more or less satisfied with the way the program has been run. I'd like better, but, heck, solid citizens and a generally positive image are fine with me.
HIE, maybe Ty's waiting until he has something to sell before making the pitch. I hope that's the case.
You guys will eventually learn from Notre Dame's pain - Ty's only interest is his golf game. He claims to be a "moulder of men", although that is simply not true. Golf is his first and only real priority.....Get used to it, it will show as time marches painfully onward....
I have been following Ty ever since he was at Stanford, and I haven't heard a legit claim that there was ever any problem with his work ethic. I do know that the kids, and parents of the kids he has coached have had zero complaints, and nothing put praise concerning him, and that includes the one's he coached at Notre Dame.
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