Virginia retires Monica Wright’s jersey after win over Va. Tech

The banner uncoiled from the rafters of John Paul Jones Arena, forever retiring Virginia senior Monica Wright’s No. 22 jersey. Most of the 6,264 fans that attended the Cavaliers’ 55-46 win over rival Virginia Tech on Sunday stayed long after the buzzer sounded, celebrating the Woodbridge native who has cemented her spot as one of the finest players in Virginia women’s basketball history.

Monica Wright

Wright played her final home game on Sunday and was the lone senior honored on a day when the Cavaliers (21-8, 9-5 ACC) clinched the No. 3 seed in this week’s conference tournament.

The post-game ceremony included a video presentation with words of praise and appreciation from her teammates.  Wright spoke, thanking God, each member of the coaching staff, her teammates, her parents and Virginia’s fans.

“I tried not to look at the coaches, because they were all tearing up,” Wright said. “I didn’t want to cry.

“I was just in my head going through all the people I wanted to thank. Just trying to make sure my speech was intact.”

The afternoon was more fulfilling because of the victory. Wright broke Virginia’s scoring record in a Jan. 11 loss to Maryland, creating a bittersweet evening. Sunday’s ceremony would not have been as heartwarming for everyone involved had the Cavaliers lost to the Hokies (15-14, 4-10).

Wright started the game sluggish as a result of end-of-season exhaustion and received intravenous therapy at halftime to bolster her for the second half. She finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds, while the rest of her teammates shot only 25.8 percent from the field and together barely outscored the Cavaliers’ star.

“Let’s have a big party and welcome her to the WNBA and level out that playing field,” Virginia Tech Coach Beth Dunkenberger said.

Before Wright departs, there remains a burden to overcome. Virginia has not reached the regionals of the NCAA tournament since 2000 after becoming a regular during the 1990s.

As Ryan said before the season started, it helps that Virginia has Wright. She has received all-ACC honors three times during her career, and will soon add a fourth. It continues a career that started at Forest Park High, where she led the Bruins in scoring in each of her four seasons, was a three-time All-Met and was the 2006 All-Met Player of the Year.

Ryan emphasized that Wright’s legacy will be entrenched as much for her off-the-court persona, where she has remained a model citizen during her time at Virginia. Teammates spoke about Wright’s example in the classroom and her willingness to stop and talk with kids and fulfill autograph requests.

Young girls filled John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday with shirts featuring Wright’s No. 22. Those shirts will likely give way to a new crop of Virginia stars in coming seasons, but Wright is “honored” to know that her jersey was retired.

Virginia returns everyone next year, except Wright, the current crop of Freshman were the #3 ranked recruiting class in the country by Blue Star.

Popularity: 10%

Trust: Communication Is Key

To see real change and gain significant benefits from their strategies, leaders (be it head coach or assistant) need to establish an environment of trust. Leaders who are trusted — even in times of great difficulty — are skilled communicators.

When leading in times of change and transition – new head coaches, assistants moving to a new school and staff – remember communications fundamentals including these:

• Communicate relentlessly. Communicate information, thoughts and ideas clearly — and frequently — in different media. Find many ways to share information; keep processes open and transparent.
• Listen. Good communicators are also good listeners. Allow people to air their gripes and complaints. Pay attention to what others are saying, thinking and feeling. What is said, and what is left unsaid.
• Explain. People are often skeptical of change. Share your thinking and the trade-offs you’ve weighed — not just the final decision or strategy.  Involve everyone in the process.
• Articulate expectations. Clearly explaining why, how and when things need to happen will set expectations and create a healthy level of stress and pressure. It also establishes a mechanism for monitoring and addressing performance.
• Be visible. If you communicate well, you won’t be out of sight. Find ways to interact with all of your stakeholder groups – staff, student-athletes, administrators and supporters.  Be willing to roll your sleeves up and get in there and work with them.
• Confront problems and conflict. Don’t postpone dealing with challenging issues or conflict. By avoiding the difficult people or difficult issues, you can do great harm to yourself, your team, your staff and your university.
• Be honest and sincere. Communicate truthfully and honestly, follow through with what you say and avoid deception.

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Division I Men’s & Women’s Basketball Coaching Changes

As we recently looked at the number one skill needed for new leaders, we referenced the annual College Coaches Coaching Carousel.

Unfortunately, it’s that time of year.

There’s huge excitement with conference and NCAA tournament action, but it also marks the “other” end of the coaching spectrum.  Firings.  Non-Renewals.  If you have been in the coaching profession long enough – you’ve been there.  The shelf life of an NCAA Division I college basketball coach is under 6 years at the same school.  The days of 25+ year careers at the same place are over.  Even 10 years at the same place is rare.

The “Job Boards” are already flowing and everyone hears the “rumors.”  Who’s going – Who’s in – Who might want in – Who’s staying “one step ahead of the posse’.”

This is the part of the profession that is the most difficult.  The one that writers forget exists for coaches and their families.  Coaches are chastised for their exorbitant contracts, country club memberships, courtesy cars, annuities and the like at the highest levels.  Truth is, that very same coach who got the new job,  signed the new contract for the next great opportunity… needed to relocate their family and then could be out of a job in 3 years.  That’s the highest levels.  What about the mid-levels?  The assistant staff?  The contracts and fringes aren’t as large and plentiful, but the risks and results are just the same.

For some coaches in that position, it is their own un-doing.  Bad recruiting.  Bad results.  Other problems.  OK.  But, for many, many others, they worked their tail off, did it the right way, followed rules, graduated players, provided a disciplined and safe environment and simply did not win enough.  How many bank managers, school teachers, CEO’s, you name the profession – can say that.  There is a trade off.

Yesterday, I left my home around 10:00 AM, drove to Ohio for a game.  490 miles each way, 7 hours 35 minutes without stops according to Google Maps… there were 4 stops in all – 9 hours total.  Each way.  Two stops for speeding tickets – $400.00.  Just an added bonus.  I arrived for game at 6 pm, watched the game, talked to coaches – jumped back in the car – hit the Wendy’s drive-thru and drove through a snow storm in Ohio, Kentucky and West Virginia back home…. parked the car in my garage at 5:30 AM.  19 1/2 hours.  Why?… there was practice at 11:00 AM this morning, had to be back.

All coaches and their families well know… that is the norm, it’s what we do.  The people who aren’t willing to work hard – won’t win.  Every coach out there has a similar story, with a different town, different game – but same story.  Coaches don’t worry about this, they don’t flaunt it, they just do it.  How many bank managers, school teachers, CEO’s have to do that.  There is a trade off.

I’m not saying that other professions don’t work hard.  They do.  Those people who are successful at anything, work hard.  Just… There is a trade off.

Before you chastise the coaches contract, the jumping ship from one school to the next, the perks or anything else… understand the professional hazards and the trade off  - life style – of a college basketball coach.

You won’t find speculation on jobs on this site.  This profession is too difficult to act like an ambulance chaser with my colleagues.  There are plenty of sites out there that will track the comings and goings of coaches.  Those sites are readily available almost as much as tracking the games all the way up to the Final Four.

25 – 30 New staffs will be hired around the country in both Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball in the next 60 or so days.  That has been the average the last few years.  2009 was a “Down” hiring year in college basketball on both the Men’s and Women’s side – the total number of new coaches in the Women’s game was under 20.  In the Men’s game – 28.  Already for 2010 there are 5 Men’s and 1 Women’s position open at the Division I level.  Everyone sited the turn in the economy in ‘09 for fewer coaches losing jobs and less professional movement.  The economy hasn’t really improved.  Also, the fact that less and less schools are likely to “pay someone to go away” and also pay the new coach, rather than just wait out the end of the current coaches contract.  This is especially true on the Women’s side.

As a side note:

No one really knows what goes on at any given school, behind the scenes, except those staff’s… BUT, unless something illegal, immoral or both occurs within a program – firing any college basketball coach DURING the season makes NO sense in the college game.

University’s scream about the “Mission” of their basketball program is about “graduating student-athletes,” “doing things the right way,” ” following conference and NCAA rules,” “helping young men or women grow and develop on and off the court,” “the total student-athlete experience.”

I agree, absolutely.

Then, schools turn around and fire the coach IN SEASON?   How does the message that the firing sends mimic that of the Mission, or reinforce the Mission, or makes the Mission better at that point in time?

An in-season firing says, WIN.  Period.

In the end, you can do everything the right way, you can ensure a fantastic student-athlete experience, you can graduate players, you can follow all the rules… if you don’t WIN, you are gone.  Always.  I’ve never read a release or listened to an interview of an athletic director or university president and heard, “our basketball program continues to lose at a high rate but our student-athletes are graduating, they are healthy and the program is in good order and the coaches follow all the rules.  So we’re extending the contract of Coach X three more years.”  Doesn’t happen.  Ever.

With an in-season firing, an administration doesn’t gain a “head start” on hiring a new coach.  Not any more so than they would by quietly researching potential candidates behind the scenes.  We know that happens, it’s happening right now – search firms are the norm in the hiring of coaches  in both the Men’s and the Women’s game.

A university does not save money with an in-season firing, salaries are still paid, teams still travel and play.  It usually doesn’t help with the chemistry or continuity of the team or staff to make a significant difference in wins.  So, if there isn’t a illegal or immoral reason, why do it?

I wish I knew the answer.

Popularity: 15%

What is the most important skill for a new leader?

What is the most important skill for a new leader?

It’s the end of February… March and April are just around the corner.  Conference Tournaments. NCAA’s.  Coaching changes.  The end of season right of passage.  Every year, the same – the inevitable.

Usually 25+ new head coaches are hired in Division I Men’s & Women’s Basketball each year.

What is the most important skill for those “First-Timers” as a new leader?

Leadership 501 recently identified some important characteristics or abilities that are necessary.  They polled many experts, posted their answers and interjected their insight.  We, as coaches, can apply these ideas to  new first time leadership roles, as well as continuing to improve on what leadership skills we already possess.

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Popularity: 8%

Bracketology – Charlie Creme

Here’s Charlie’s latest projection through games as of Feb. 21.  Scroll over a team name for more analysis. Records reflect Division I competition only.

Automatic bids are in CAPS.

This is the absolute best time of the year for talking basketball with everyone.

Bids by Conference is going to make some people edgy…

• Big 12 (8)
• ACC (7)
• Big East (7)
• SEC (6)
• Big Ten (3)
• Atlantic 10 (3)
• Pac-10 (3)
• America East (2)
• Sun Belt (2)
• Colonial (2)

I love the ACC, was part of it for 4 years.  It is arguably one of the Top 2 Conferences in the country year after year… but, 7 bids is high!  I say 5.  UNC and Maryland are all questions and NC State is on the cusp.  Each of those teams are currently 5-7 or 6-6 in the ACC.  If you allow all of them in, how then do you say no to Wake Forest and maybe Boston College?  Both are either 5-7 or 6-6 and Wake Forest is a head of UNC and Maryland in the ACC standings.  don’t go to the RPI and Strength of Schedule… it’s all comparable.

Why not give the Atlantic 10, Colonial or Mountain West a 4th, 3rd or 2nd team in, respectively.   Maybe give one or two of the MAAC, MAC, America East or Missouri Valley and 2nd team in.

Everyone screams for more parity in Women’s Basketball.  You can’t have parity if the Top 5 Conferences hold 31 of the 64 spots in the NCAA tournament every year.  Those coaches will never be able to consistently convince (recruit) top prospects to play in conferences where only one team goes to the NCAA’s year in and year out.

We’ll see…

Popularity: 12%