Is it time to consider new leadership?

Geezaldinho wrote:Well, if it’s the responsible thing to do, Scott failed miserably with women’s Basketball. He had a year to do that deal. Instead, we got the last resort at the last minute.

Yeah, that was screwed up!  There were a number of WBB coaching changes that year that caused a number of moves in the coaching ranks on the West Coast that resulted in the primary UP candidates taking other positions....I can speak with assurance that Lisa Fortier, the current GU head coach, was UP's top choice all along.   

If Scott failed, it was his abdication of his duty as the primary recruiter/selector of a new coach in favor of the Senior Associate Athletic Director/SWA performing that role....and Scott must take ultimate responsibility.  

I don't believe the coaching staff was limited to 10 scholarships, but that was all that were used at the time because that was the sum total of players who were academically and athletically available to UP.  

Coach Sorenson currently has 14 scholarships available to her (yes, 15 is the NCAA maximum) and she is now using 13 with one walk-on player who has other scholarships (she's as nursing student) that are paying for her time at UP.  More than once the staff has said they do not want 15 players on the squad as it is too difficult to manage and it means too many players do not get playing time....but I also believe playing time is not as big a deal to female players as it is for the male basketball players.  

I know very little about women's soccer coaching qualifications.  From a personal standpoint I will be saddened to not have Coach Smith and his family around, just as I was personally saddened at the departure of Coach Reveno and his family....but I also know those were the right moves for the university going forward if UP is going to upgrade its athletic programs.

I have full confidence that Scott has had some coaching candidates in mind for awhile and that he'll ultimately is make the move (with Fr. Mark's blessing) that's best for the university and best for the student-athletes.  Whether it is best for the fans will be tested by time.

Perhaps the staff would be more comfortable coaching NAIA d1 or NCAA D2, where scholarship limits are 11 and 10 players, respectively.

And pawning off blame on the SWA is lame. He was the AD - now he's a VP. He was able to negotiate that just fine.
The Idea that you would woo a coach from one of the  nationally most respected programs by having her talk to an assistant is beyond belief. not the way you show how serious you are.

If anything, you would arrange a meeting with the President, which is how the last two Mens coaches were dealt with.


I sure hope they rethink that for this search.

You say you read my posts. Yes, many of them point out the record lows, unheard of setbacks, the empty seats, and embarrassments. Why? Because they happened with constant regularity.

Yes, I’ve said many times they should fire the coach. Why? Garrett Smith was a program destroyer. Clive Charles was a program builder. It was the best in the nation when he died. After garnering wins from that top program, Smith sent it down the toilet.

I wanted him gone. You wanted to keep him. But he deserved to be fired.

Good college coaches need salesmanship talent, which Smith obviously lacked. Let’s hope the new coach this time has at least a decent personality and a modicum of charm.

I saw the season finale. The game plan was to not lose too badly. It failed.

You were a devout Garrett Smith Fan-Boy. I get it. But now you look stupid.

Please don’t plead for a statue honoring Smith.

When do the interviews start?

Corrado Kid wrote:When do the interviews start?

Hopefully, not until after the NCAA tournament. That's what the top prospects are busy doing, unless you think Frenchie is interested.

She's busy through the weekend.

Is Pepperdine’s budget more than Portland’s?

Unlike UNC, they have two paid assistants. Their field is certainly no Merlo. Their starters number ten from California and one from Nevada, which doesn’t indicate a national recruiting reach.

They’re now conference champion two years running. Their current level of success should be an attainable goal for the next Pilot coach. Or is that too unreasonable?

SQ, you like Oldster need to think about this old adage from debating:

Never resort to name calling – even if your opponent does. You must attack your opponent’s argument – not their person. As soon as you begin to criticize your opponent, it becomes obvious that you have run out of ways to defend your view.

A_Fan wrote:SQ, you like Oldster need to think about this old adage from debating:  

Never resort to name calling – even if your opponent does. You must attack your opponent’s argument – not their person. As soon as you begin to criticize your opponent, it becomes obvious that you have run out of ways to defend your view.

Sort of like instructions I received from the judge I first clerked for when I arrived in PDX:  "If you say, 'It's hornbook law ['everyone knows it' in lawyer parlance] or if you say, 'Clearly,' it means you can't direct me to any precedent that supports your argument."

On the other hand, the Donaldster may have changed all of this.

wrv wrote:Geezer mentioned Rob Baarts. Is he a realistic candidate?

I have much respect for Rob, but I would be surprised if he were a candidate. His current boss (Lauren Hanson, nee Orlandos) would be a much more likely choice, though I'm not sure if she would come back to The Bluff.

I don't think Rob is a candidate. He was let go by this AD.

I mentioned him because he is Lauren's assistant now.

Here are some thoughts on what the admin likely will look for:

1.  Someone who is familiar with who the West Coast prospects are and has good relationships with coaches at the key clubs.  This could include Utah and Colorado.

2.  Someone who can relate well with young women.

3.  Either an assistant from a successful power conference school, preferably one who has been heavily involved in recruiting, or an up and coming mid-major head coach who has demonstrated at the mid-major that he/she can build a successful program.  Alternatively, someone who has enough national level experience, coupled with coaching experience even though not at the college level, to have the relationships needed to bring some top level national  players to the Bluff.

Saw a couple of somewhat familiar faces at the MBB game tonight....both were once members of the Pilots women's soccer team, and  think both are current head coaches somewhere.

Perhaps they were just in town to watch basketball....

They were sitting in the next section over and closer to Geezer, maybe he recognized them.

Yes, I did.

Question for someone in the know: why did Whitney jump from Director of Operations for soccer to the men's basketball staff in a similar capacity? Money? Prestige? Was it some sort of a sign? I feel like our women's soccer staff has shrunk, but that could just be because they split the soccer staffs unlike before when we had the Director of Soccer position.

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:Question for someone in the know: why did Whitney jump from Director of Operations for soccer to the men's basketball staff in a similar capacity? Money? Prestige? Was it some sort of a sign? I feel like our women's soccer staff has shrunk, but that could just be because they split the soccer staffs unlike before when we had the Director of Soccer position.

As I doubt Whitney really has time to waste posting on PN, I will just post what little I know.....

Whitney played soccer at Kentucky and before coming to UP had extensive soccer work experience at Ohio State and with the United States Soccer Federation serving for 10 years as the National Team Coordinator for both the Men’s and Women’s National Teams, so when her husband-to-be took a job at Nike it was only natural she would continue in soccer when she came to UP.  But when TP took over the MBB program, he quickly saw it would take a strong individual to crack the whip over his staff and the players to shape the place up....and that is what Whitney has done, she's brought discipline and order to what was once organizational chaos.

Whitney was reluctant to leave the soccer team, but was convinced (by her husband, I believe), that the exposure and experience she would receive from being part of a D1 MBB program were just too good to pass up.  I think the recent appointment of Chris Buchanan as her assistant is an indication of how all-encompassing the DOBO position has become with TP's guidance and Whitney's initiatives.

I don't think Whitney's leaving soccer was any slap at the soccer program, but was instead a case of TP being able to hire whomever he wanted, and Whitney having a great reputation and already being on campus, was a natural fit.

(I hope Whitney doesn't slap me for writing about her without her permission. )

UP VP for Athletics Scott Leykam wrote:"This is a fascinating search, because — without naming names — we have a lot of alums that have gone on and are doing well (coaching) at the club level or the national level or the collegiate level. So that's definitely a spot we're looking at.

Excellent Tribune article from Paul Danzer:
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/378345-264751-search-for-pilots-coach-has-many-takers

DoubleDipper wrote:

UP VP for Athletics Scott Leykam wrote:"This is a fascinating search, because — without naming names — we have a lot of alums that have gone on and are doing well (coaching) at the club level or the national level or the collegiate level. So that's definitely a spot we're looking at.

Excellent Tribune article from Paul Danzer:
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/378345-264751-search-for-pilots-coach-has-many-takers

1. Thank you for the response earlier.

2. This is an important quote from the article you shared. Thanks for sharing that too!

Paul Danzer wrote:Women's soccer, [Leykam] notes, is a UP program where the coaching salaries are at the top of the WCC.

SouthCarolinaPilot wrote:

DoubleDipper wrote:

UP VP for Athletics Scott Leykam wrote:"This is a fascinating search, because — without naming names — we have a lot of alums that have gone on and are doing well (coaching) at the club level or the national level or the collegiate level. So that's definitely a spot we're looking at.

Excellent Tribune article from Paul Danzer:
http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/378345-264751-search-for-pilots-coach-has-many-takers

1. Thank you for the response earlier.

2. This is an important quote from the article you shared. Thanks for sharing that too!

Paul Danzer wrote:Women's soccer, [Leykam] notes, is a UP program where the coaching salaries are at the top of the WCC.

Um..no.

I invite you to go to BigSoccer and review the salaries being bandied about when Jerry Smith was a candidate for the Notre Dame job when Waldrum retired from college ball.

SCU matched the offers, and threw in a facility upgrade.

I sure hope he thinks so, though, because if he wants to go after the coach I think everybody is thinking we want, it's going to take an offer at the top of the WCC salary structure.

Geezaldinho wrote:  ...... because if he wants to go after the coach I think everybody is thinking we want, it's going to take an offer at the top of the WCC salary structure.

Facilities and cost of living better in Portland.....the weather, not so much!

Fun little "mic'd up" segment with Coach Hanson, followed by a short interview. (Start at the 6:00 mark.)

SJSU bounced back from a tough start to the season by winning the Mountain West regular season title, with Lauren being named conference coach of the year. They lost in the conference tournament so they didn't make it to the playoffs, but still... their RPI was somewhere in the 50's-60's range by the end of the year.

DoubleDipper wrote:

Geezaldinho wrote:  ...... because if he wants to go after the coach I think everybody is thinking we want, it's going to take an offer at the top of the WCC salary structure.

Facilities and cost of living better in Portland.....the weather, not so much!

I'm trying to think of UP recruiting John Wooden in his prime.

"come to Portland, coach. We can't offer much, but the cost of living is cheaper..."

And that's not taking into account SJS might want to keep her and counter offer.

Perhaps it will be more like Alabama recruiting Paul Bryant: "Mama called."

I've got my ideal coaching team:

Lauren for head coach
Christine for assistant coach (Thorns practice in morning)
Nadine for GK coach (Thorns practice in morning)

That would be a good cast for recruiting purposes.

I'm told the search is "going well" in that a number of very strong candidates, both assistant coaches and head coaches, have been contacted by UP or have contacted UP on their own and shown high interest. I got the impression the size of whittled-down pool is in the neighborhood of around 20 high quality candidates, give or take....

Now that initial contacts have been made and some preliminary interviews have been conducted, it's really a matter of waiting for some teams to be eliminated from the NCAA Tournament(s) before real discussions can begin...not because it would illegal, but because it is not fair to the coaches or players to be involved with the hiring process while still competing for a title.