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.