TALKIN’ WITH TRICIA!

RR: You're now entering your third year as the Toledo coach. Looking back since you were named head coach, is the job what you expected it to be and have your impressions of the school and the community changed in any way since April, 2008?

• I knew I was going to be a part of something special in 2008, but the past two years have opened my eyes even further. It is one thing to say, “We have great fan support”…but it is another thing to experience the energy of 5,800 people in Savage Arena.  I feel very fortunate to not only work at a university that truly cares about women’s basketball, but also be a part of an amazing community. I really enjoy walking recruits around our campus and showing them all that UT has to offer academically as well as athletically. It’s an incredible package! 

RR: Now that you've had two years to lead the team in MAC play, what are your thoughts on the quality of competition in the conference?

• I have a great respect for my peers, as there are some great coaching minds in our conference who certainly keep you on your toes. The solid coaching coupled with the many gifted players around the league make way for great parity. There’s not an easy game as you travel around the league.

RR: Coach, shortly after you arrived in Toledo you told me that you preferred a guard-oriented offense with emphasis on ball-handling skills, speed, and defense. Has your coaching philosophy changed any, given the overall style of play in the conference?

• I am not sure I would call it “guard oriented”, but instead I love coaching an up tempo style with a balanced scoring attack and a stingy defense. I like versatile players who can pass, handle the ball, score, and understand team defensive concepts. I’m very proud of the fact we finished 20^th in the country in assists and top 3 in the MAC in points allowed and top 2 in FG% defense. We had several different players who could score the ball which made it tough for our opponents to know who to stop.

RR: This past season the team seemed to have tremendous amount of positive chemistry. In addition to the natural bonding that occurs between team members, what do you do to foster the camaraderie that has been so evident since you took over the program?

• Our captains and older players do a great job fostering a positive atmosphere in the summer when most of our players arrive on campus. Every year we plan some type of retreat to kick off the year and really get to know one another. I learned a great lesson once that if we don't invest in our student-athletes first as people, than we won't help them reach their potential as players. I like to know what is important to them, the best way to communicate and motivate them, and what they need from me. We continue to find time throughout the year to invest in ways to maintain strong team chemistry. Every year we try to change it up to keep it interesting because I feel this is every bit as important as what offense or defense we run.

RR: Now that your team has had two year’s of success, does that success help or hinder you and your staff when trying to formulate a non-conference home schedule?

• The more you win and the bigger your home attendance, the tougher it is to schedule games, but I feel Coach Mitmesser has done a terrific job of finding creative ways to nail down tough competition.

RR: In addition to their play on the court, the three departing seniors were also inspirational leaders in their role as tri-captains. The present players who will soon step up as captains also seem to possess strong leadership skills. My question is: While talent and athleticism are obviously important, how much consideration is given to a player’s leadership skills when evaluating potential recruits for your team?

• We definitely give that strong consideration. Last year we gave our players personality tests. This was one of the most beneficial things we did all year. It helped us not only assess areas we had covered, but weaknesses going forward. We are constantly looking for players who possess strong character, a positive attitude, and great work ethic. We are always watching how recruits interact with their coaching staff, teammates, and community. I am very proud of the three captains who just graduated and I am looking forward to the development of our future captains.

RR: You've recently signed five recruits, including three junior college players who will be on the roster this coming year. With the recent loss of Tanika, Allie, and Lisa, and the transfer of two other players, do you feel that you've filled in the gaps left by the departures to challenge for the conference championship?

• It is easy to note from a statistical point of view that we will miss Tanika, Allie, and Lisa. What a lot of people won't realize is just how much we will miss the intangible things they brought to the table. Their leadership and ownership of our program is a big reason why we had such great success the past two years. I do believe we have leaders waiting in the wings for their turn and the time for them to begin refining their skills is now. Our goal going forward will be to challenge for a conference championship. I like the nucleus we return and I do feel we filled our position needs with the signing of this recent class as well as the improvement of our returning players.

RR: With success comes recognition, and that recognition often opens the door for recruiting a much greater geographical area than, say the usual tri-state area of Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. Have you and the assistant coaches found, on your recruiting and evaluation visits, that the Toledo name is out there, and have high school players and their coaches from other areas outside of the tri-state area positively responded to your visits?

• Our staff is finding that many more recruiting doors are opening because our success the past two years, but we are positioned in a talent-rich area and we will always look to recruit our region first. We did look outside that normal radius when a few scholarships opened up after the season because it was so late in the recruiting year. It is highly probable that our 2011 recruiting class of three will include players from a 4-5 hour radius of campus. 

RR: Did name recognition play a role in securing the commitment of the two players from Cowley County Community College?

• I'm not sure I would say name recognition secured the commitment of those two players as much as the fact that the University of Toledo met their needs academically and athletically.

RR: You already have one verbal commitment to the program for 2011 and will probably sign at least two other players to that class. Assuming that everyone on the present roster is healthy and remains with the team, how do you plan on filling the next class?

• Because we could potentially have several spots open that year, we have focused a lot of attention on the 2012 class.  We feel we have lessoned the load by the ground work we have put forth so far. We had several talented 2012 players at our position camp this past weekend. Rather than get to specifics at this point, I’d rather say that this class will include a little bit of everything. The players we hope to sign fit into our up tempo style of play and will help us challenge for a conference championship. I am excited to get out and watch them play several games in July!

RR: Coach, last summer you demonstrated to the community that you have a major-league arm when it comes to putting a baseball in the strike zone. Can we look forward to seeing you deliver some heat once again this year?

• I'm not sure that’s in my immediate future, but I wish Coach Kowalczyk the best as he will be throwing out the first pitch for the Mud Hens this coming Saturday.

Coach, thanks so much for your time and best wishes to you, your staff, and the team when the horn sounds to begin your third season here at Toledo..