Only in Women's College Basketball!!

Women's college basketball, still gets NO respect. Today, is another slap in the face to women's basketball and to the coaches who work, just as hard as men's basketball coaches.

IUPUI, hired the MEN'S assistant coach, who has NEVER coached women's or girls basketball before, as their head WOMEN'S basketball coach. It appears this was not an an interim head coach hiring, but the hiring of the permanent head coach. IUPUI fired their head coach, Shann Hart, after player's complaints about harsh treatment, were found to be true and possible NCAA violations.

The hiring of a men's assistant coach, also happened at San Jose St. in 2006-07. The head coach at the time, Janice Richard, went on medical leave, while undergoing breast cancer treatments, and San Jose St. named Greg Lockridge, as interim head coach. After some run-in with players, Lockridge was let go and San Jose St. hired Derek Allen, who was the MEN'S assistant coach at the time.

At San Jose St., Allen was hired after five games. So they didn't have a lot of time or options. I can, to a certain extent, understand why San Jose St. hired Allen. But Allen was only a stop gap and never considered for the permanent head coach position, after the 06-07 season.

I understand that IUPUI promoting the top assistant from the old staff, may not be a good idea. But at IUPUI, the season hasn't started yet, and they have enough time to find a coach.

Hell, why didn't they hire current assistant coaches, Brittany Korth, or Jarietta Benton? Both were hired this past summer, so she didn't have anything to do with the mistreatment of players. So what, if Benton's only experience is four years as director of basketball operations. Benton learned under a very good coach, Shimmy Gray-Miller, at St. Louis. But shhh, don't tell Coach Shimmy, I said that. :) Or Korth's only expeience is two years as an student assistant at Cleveland St.

I can't imagine, in the same situation, a men's program hiring a women's assistant coach. So why does it happen and why is it accepted in women's college basketball??

These are real issues in women's college basketball, issues writers like Michelle Voepel don't bother covering. She is too busy telling us, how great UConn and other BCS schools are.

When Punishment Drills Go Too Far

How stupid can any coach, in today's environment, be? How can any coach run a punishment drill for a player, see that player vomit three times and NOT stop it, after the first time that player vomited?

Sound crazy? Sound Impossible? Well it happened at the North Carolina Wilmington. UNCW Punish Drill Goes Too Far. Head Coach Cythina Cooper-Dyke and assistant coach Johnetta Hayes, who supervised the drill are stupid and both should face some disciplinary action. I don't give a damn that Cooper-Dykes apologized to the player.

How stupid must a coach be, when after seeing a player vomit ONCE, maybe they get a clue and stupid the drill? But no, this stupid coach Johnetta Hayes, continues the drill, until the player vomits again, TWICE.

This reminds me, back to my senior year in high school. I graduated from high school in 1986, a much different time, where coaches and teachers got respect and nobody really questioned their methods.

I used to chew tobacco, about a pouch a day of Apple Jack or Red Man, and one day, during class, my teacher caught me chewing tobacco. She told me to swallow it. I told her; if I swallow it, I'll vomit and I won't clean up. She said, go spit it out and I don't want to see it in my class again. I followed her directions and the situation was done. Ok, ok, I did chew tobacco in her class, a few more times. But I was never caught. :)

My teacher could have really taken a small situation and turned it into a major issue; chewing tobacco is slightly above getting caught chewing gum in class. But no, she wasn't stubborn, she found another solution.

But this coach, Johnetta Hayes, is either too stupid or stubborn or both.

If a player got kicked out of practice, yes, there should be some punishment drills. If she is leg or foot injuries, how about some drills in the pool, assuming she knows how to swim? How about some drills on a stationary bike? But when those punishment drills lead to a player vomiting, just once, those drills need stop, right away.

Now, what should the punishment be for the head coach and assistant? I think the head coach should be suspended without pay for a week. The assistant coach should be suspended without pay for two weeks. She deserves a tougher penalty because she allowed the punishment drill to continue. Of course, a reevaluation of their handling of discipline issues, has to be done.

2010-11 Coaches on Hot Seat

With the 2010-11 season just about ready to start, here is my list of D1 coaches who should be on the hot seat. To be on this list, a coach must have been at the school for at least three years and have a bad record. As a general rule, I feel, after three years there should be major signs of progress in any program. What do I mean by major progress? If a coach is coming into a rebuilding situation, the team should be winning 10-12 games against a tough schedule. If a coach is winning five or six games a year, after three years, it's pretty clear that coach isn't doing a good job.

Believe it or not, I don't get a kick out of calling out bad coaches. I really don't. I just want to see programs successful, because it improves women's basketball, and that won't happen if schools keep bad coaches.

Lynne Roberts- Pacific. 5th season:

Roberts has a 42-76 overall record. I understand she was suppose to be entering the last year of her contract. But I heard that she got a five year contract extension. Of course, UOP, has not issued any press release about her extension.

Honestly, I thought Roberts was going to turn things around at UOP. But, I didn't like how she got her former players to transfer from Chico St. to Pacific. She hasn't done the job at all.

Now, I have heard she got a five year contract extension. If that is true, this is Faith Mimnaugh all over again.

Raegan Pebley- Utah St. 8th season:

Pebley started the Utah St. program and still hasn't had a winning record, after sevens seasons. Her overall record 71-113. Her contract ends at the end of the 2010-11 season.

My prediction: Hire a real estate agent.

Pam DeCosta- San Jose St. 4th season:

DeCosta has a 11-79 overall record. She is entering the last year of her contract. Her win totals have gone from 1 to 1 to 6. At that rate, San Jose St. will have a winning record by 2020.

Why she was selected over former, Santa Clara and Colorado St. head coach, Chris Denker, is something I'm still trying to figure out.

My prediction: Hire a real estate agent.