Coach Albright on Sports Daily

[1972Shocker]

Bob Lutz and Shane Dennis hosted Jane Albright in a fairly extensive interview segment on Sports Daily this morning.

I thought it was a fairly candid interview, and the bottom line Jane understands that you have to win in College Athletics.

She says she has had some very frank and direct meetings with her players and that they are going to be pushed much harder to improve their skills and their physical conditioning between now and next year.

She says she needs to adapt her system to the abilities of the players she has and that they probably are not athletic enough to play the Tennessee system she has tried to install.

She specifically mentioned the teams defensive weaknesses especially on the perimeter.

Sounds like we may see a lot of Jacie Hoyt at the point next year, with Taylor Steven playing more at the 2 guard.

Overall I though it was a good, candid interview. I still think next year is going to be a real challenge, but I do think Jane realizes that its time to paint or get off the ladder.

Personally, I hope she is successful and wish her luck.

:goshocks:

[1972Shocker]

Regarding Kiki Stephens, Coach Albright reported that she will be undergoing a procedure on one of her knees in a couple of weeks.

Her back is an issue, but they have been advised that if Kiki has surgery she would never play basketball again.

Jane said there are some exercises Kiki can do to relieve whatever pain she is having. Although Jane didn't say it, Kiki's back might benefit from dropping a few pounds also (or maybe not?).

Good luck to Kiki with her rehab and off-season fitness work.

[ShoxPride]

When she talked about the recruits I somewhat disagree with her opinion of Samatha Smith. Having seen her play at the state tournament she lacks quickness and does not shoot free throws well. She could dominate in high school because she is 6'3". I think she is a major project for coach. Jadhon Kerr is going to be very good at WSU. She is an all around great player. Also, her sister who is a year younger than she is could be the next recruit coach needs to make sure is coming here. If this happens the program might start making positive strides.

[boyshocker]

She needs to get something going. I think she got a four-year extension but I believe only next year is guarenteed.

[The Mad Hatter]

I really like the thought of seeing more of Jaycie running our offense with Taylor at the shooting guard spot.

Jaycie's ability to penentrate should open up things we haven't had in our offense, and Taylor was our leading 3-point shooter by percentage last year (over 40%). I would to see her getting more looks rather than having to set up others.

[dregn]

I've always thought our best offense over the last 2 years was when Taylor and Whitney were in the game together. The problem was we didn't have a 3rd guard who could play the point. With Jaycie getting playing time we might see two of the three at a time which I think will lead to a lot more ball movement and more chances on the offensive end.

[The Mad Hatter]

I have to say that I am discouraged about the news regarding Kiki. The fact that she has knee trouble on top of the back issues (and I would guess relating to them), is bad enough, but knowing that the back issue will never be truly resolved is unfortunate.

[ictshockolate]

Gee it took Jane 4yrs to figure out she has to adapt her style of play to the type of players she has. Good coaches know that, sounds like she is just buying more time. She cant coach, we have seen evidence of that for four yrs. But at this point who cares, nobody really, and thats why she still has a job.......

[tgcshock]

Gee it took Jane 4yrs to figure out she has to adapt her style of play to the type of players she has. Good coaches know that, sounds like she is just buying more time. She cant coach, we have seen evidence of that for four yrs. But at this point who cares, nobody really, and thats why she still has a job.......

Jane's career speaks for itself as to whether she can coach. She obviously can. And, let's be fair. Most coaches learn their trade within a system of some kind and then make their living teaching that system to others. If it is a highly successful system (in Jane's case the Pat Summit Tennessee system), any coach is reluctant to change from something they know well and that has a long history of proven success in multiple venues. The question is not whether she can coach but whether her style of coaching works here.

Up until now, the answer clearly has to be no. The fans know it. The players know it. And Coach Albright says she knows it. This year we will find out, not whether Jane can coach, but whether she can coach using a different approach then what has worked elsewhere for her in the past. And she will be on a relatively short time frame to prove that she can.

I am not completely without hope. She is recruiting fairly well. The short time we got to see Jaycie Hoyt last year was extremely encouraging and if she plays point (as Jane has stated she will) she can make everyone around her look better. Nonetheless, Coach Albright has a lot of change to make and a limited window of opportunity in which to make it. I think the odds are against it happening but, one way or the other, we will probably know after next year. Without clear progress, she is unlikely to be the coach past next season.

[The Mad Hatter]

Gee it took Jane 4yrs to figure out she has to adapt her style of play to the type of players she has. Good coaches know that, sounds like she is just buying more time. She cant coach, we have seen evidence of that for four yrs. But at this point who cares, nobody really, and thats why she still has a job.......

Jane's career speaks for itself as to whether she can coach. She obviously can. And, let's be fair. Most coaches learn their trade within a system of some kind and then make their living teaching that system to others. If it is a highly successful system (in Jane's case the Pat Summit Tennessee system), any coach is reluctant to change from something they know well and that has a long history of proven success in multiple venues. The question is not whether she can coach but whether her style of coaching works here.

Up until now, the answer clearly has to be no. The fans know it. The players know it. And Coach Albright says she knows it. This year we will find out, not whether Jane can coach, but whether she can coach using a different approach then what has worked elsewhere for her in the past. And she will be on a relatively short time frame to prove that she can.

I am not completely without hope. She is recruiting fairly well. The short time we got to see Jaycie Hoyt last year was extremely encouraging and if she plays point (as Jane has stated she will) she can make everyone around her look better. Nonetheless, Coach Albright has a lot of change to make and a limited window of opportunity in which to make it. I think the odds are against it happening but, one way or the other, we will probably know after next year. Without clear progress, she is unlikely to be the coach past next season.

My thoughts as well.

[ictshockolate]

If you think shes a good coach, then you can have her, I dont see it, I have watched her for 4yrs and she cant adapt during a game to save her life. Took her 4yrs to change her style for the players she has.....please.Im not buying in to her excuses...

[The Mad Hatter]

If you think shes a good coach, then you can have her, I dont see it, I have watched her for 4yrs and she cant adapt during a game to save her life. Took her 4yrs to change her style for the players she has.....please.Im not buying in to her excuses...

Did you even read tgcshock's post? He addressed her past success and current failures very well, and he never claimed that her performance as a coach at WSU has been acceptable to this point.

You don't have to defend Albright's record at WSU to defend her as a good coach based on her previous coaching history. There is a difference between someone who has failed in a particular situation and one that lacks the necessary skills to coach.

[SpanglerFan316]

Do we even need a female WBB coach? Mark Lewis seems to be doing OK as the WSU women's bowling coach. http://www.kansas.com/250/story/51263.html Jane has not done well here. Let's move on and find a coach, male or female, who can win national championships in WBB. Mark Lewis?

[Snapshot9]

I agree, a woman coach should not be brought in simply because she is a woman. Outside of Texas and Tennessee, I think the men coaches of women basketball teams have been more successful (i.e., Connecticut).

[The Mad Hatter]

I agree, a woman coach should not be brought in simply because she is a woman. Outside of Texas and Tennessee, I think the men coaches of women basketball teams have been more successful (i.e., Connecticut).

In a previous thread:

I never thought she was a good pick to begin with. Had 1 fairly good year, but her overall coaching record was not impressive.

Very few women coaches have the intensity and tenacity to get the job done, of course, Tennessee and Texas would be exceptions to that.

To which I replied:

Which, of course, is why 6 of the top ten teams in the country are coached by women, including the undefeated #1 team Duke Rolling Eyes (and the aforementioned Texas isn't even in the top 10).

Whatever you think of Jane, it is ridiculous to claim that her gender makes her less capable than a man to coach women's basketball. If you are going to make potentially sexist statements, you might want to make sure that they have at least a shred of evidence that your position is correct instead of relying on cheap, inaccurate stereotypes. (And I say this as a man).

Snapshot, you never replied to my initial post, and then you say the same thing, without any evidence in another thread. I would still like to know how you justify continuing to make this point when you have presented no evidence to counter mine that male coaches do better than female coaches in women's basketball.