....or just as simple as deciding to move on from the Coach G era. Her shadow was long over Coach P's tenure here also. Just because some don't agree with the decision doesn't mean White is incompetent.
Due diligence in hiring deals with any investigation or background check an organization performs on potential candidates. It can be as simple as checking references or credit scores, or as complicated as the vetting process for Vice President, but it’s only done for the candidate pool.
Ignoring a petition does not apply.
On the other hand, if White is not carefully reading our posts then that would be a clear case of gross incompetence. Or malfeasance. Or something.
....or just as simple as deciding to move on from the Coach G era. Her shadow was long over Coach P's tenure here also. Just because some don't agree with the decision doesn't mean White is incompetent.
Everything's been said on the subject, but not everyone has said it. So it's my turn.
Coach G left Duke, a top five women's basketball program, for a lesser program in a part of the country with which she was unfamiliar. As she has said, compensation was not an issue. Then she had five uninspiring years, although -- to be completely fair -- Texas wanted her to stay and at least serve out her full seven-year contract. Let me repeat -- Texas wanted her to stay and she retired anyway. Does that mean she bailed on two high-profile athletic programs? Moreover, while not totally away from the game, she has not been a head coach anywhere in the past eight years.
Although Gail Goestenkors represents the Golden Age of Duke women's hoops, I really don't see how re-hiring her at Duke 28 years after we first hired her would be a way to rebuild the program.
And the minor furor of not interviewing and telling her she was not a candidate -- that's political. Duke wasn't going to rehire Coach G, and they let that be known immediately.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
I'm closing in on 40 years of being a fan of Duke WBB. I had the good fortune to be the team's official scorer in the early/mid 80's.I was a fan of Coach Leonard, and of Coach G after I was gone. I recognize the passion for her here and it is well placed. However, I think hiring her would have been a mistake. Many have pointed out how the game has changed, but my focus would be on the fact that recruiting has changed since she left. The pool of recruits who would be drawn to Duke because of her earlier success would be incredibly small IMHO. I don't think that someome out of the game as long as her would be as effective as a younger person who recruits may find preferable.
Even many advocating for her here talk about her as a transitional coach. Why would a recruit come to Duke knowing the coach is leaving? There is no way you can say "we have the next coach lined up". That simply won't cut it for a 17 or 18 year old looking at her next 4 years. I am not taking anything away from Coach G, she deserves every accolade sent her way, but she woulld have been a poor choice for sustained success at Duke.We need a young, dynamic coach who can related to the "Zoomer" generation.
A young dynamic coach who can relate to zoomers like Coach K, Cut or Dano
Just saw Mack Brown just landed one of the top 10 players in the US
Sorry...age and relatability is just irrelevant
Find me a coach who has the bona fides to bring Duke back to a lofty status
If not Coach G, then somebody who has the potential to be a legend.
To the folks saying that the game has changed so G wouldn't be a good fit anymore, it's not like she has been sitting on her couch. She has been a coach in the modern WNBA after all, she is an expert on how the game is played. Hell, since she first took the reigns and when she left Duke, the game had changed. She was one of the architects.
I have no doubt that she can and will adapt, regardless of where she winds up. I really, really, really hope whoever does take over succeeds wildly, because he/she is now facing "she's not G" for several years. Again.
Q "Why do you like Duke, you didn't even go there." A "Because my art school didn't have a basketball team."
The fact that they wouldn't even consider her has vacuumed up what little hope I had that White is even going to try to get this right.
I hold little hope White will even try to "get this right." Fully expect him to pick Beth Cunningham, former Notre Dame assistant --- a "safe" choice is his eyes.
Hope I'm wrong. I know little about Cunningham, but if she wasn't a shoo-in for McGraw's job, don't believe she's the best White can find for the Duke job.
Do we know that White alone decided not to pursue Coach G.? Possibly a joint decision. Regardless, letting G know early was a good move; not only for G. but for all coaches who may be considered.
For the people trying to equate Mack Brown and Coach G...You do understand that he went to Texas and won a national championship, right?
I don't have a clue who they will hire, and/or who would be best. But I do believe in the Scientific Method. So I'm putting my money on Jennie Lillis Baranczyk. As recent history (the past 40 years) has shown, Duke only has success with basketball coaches who have unspellable (well, difficult) last names.
Krzyzewski, Goestenkors, ergo Baranczyk.
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
So you know that it’s a “fact” that they didn’t run the scenario about her returning?
The administration didn’t say they didn’t consider her, merely that she wasn’t going to get the job. That tells me they thought about it (it’s not like they didn’t know this was coming) and decided not to go to into the past. This is my speculation based on the comments/quotes in the Voepel article, as I don’t have an inside source.
Now, had you said they didn’t give her a chance to “sell” herself and why she should be hired, that’s different. But that’s not what you said.
I, for one, will hold judgement until the new coach is hired to decide if I feel “they didn’t even try to get this right.”
Sage Grouse
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'When I got on the bus for my first road game at Duke, I saw that every player was carrying textbooks or laptops. I coached in the SEC for 25 years, and I had never seen that before, not even once.' - David Cutcliffe to Duke alumni in Washington, DC, June 2013
I understand the angst over Goestenkors being eliminated. I share some of it. Maybe a lot of it. But to go from that to Kevin-White-isn't-even-going-to-try-to-get-it-right rather strains credulity. I'm reasonably certain he wants to get this right.
And Nina King is and will continue to be a big part of this. When Duke and White were looking at replacing Sean McNally, White delegated a lot of the search to Brad Berndt and Berndt hit it out of the park with Chris Pollard. I'm a long way from assuming that Duke can't make a comparable hire for women's hoops.
I was, and will always be, a fan of Coach G.
Having said that, she has not had a head coaching job since 2012.
Since then, she bounced around two pro teams in two seasons as an assistant coach. As best I can tell, she has been out of coaching for five years.
As a fan, would I like her back? Obviously. From an objective view, if it was not for our personal attachment to her history at our school, would any other school have her on the top of the list? Well, it doesn’t seem to be the case for quite some time.
It would be a feel-good story for her to come back. But she decided to leave us years ago and it’s tough to catch lightning in the bottle twice. If Dr. White feels that she is not a good candidate, I’m cool with that decision.
And of course, I wish G the best luck in all future endeavors.
https://und.com/coach/beth-cunningham-2/
I would definitely pass based on her record at VCU.
I know it's been said many times in other posts; but respectfully, if you are going to bring up these points as reasons for why it's ok to move on and not consider Coach G, the rehire of Mack Brown pokes holes in those points. He chose to leave UNC as well. He was out of coaching for several years; and yet he was able to catch lightning in the bottle twice at UNC. I'm not saying Gail would've had the same level of success; but it doesn't mean that she wouldn't either. While she chose to leave Duke, it seemed like a major reason for her doing so goes back to her not feeling appreciated or respected by Joe Alleva for all of her accomplishments with the program. If Alleva had done things differently, I strongly feel that she would've remained at Duke.
Please don't think I am attacking you. I appreciate you being respectful of Coach G while also being open-minded to someone other than her being the next HC.