(Guru's note: This is an enhancement of the print and edited version at Philly.com. More reaction will come in ensuing coverage. The Guru would like to thank his SID friends across the country -- many of whom are partying at the annual convention in Tampa -- and the WNBA PR group for making persons available Monday for comment. He would also like to salute his media colleagues in Connecticut, also known as the horde, for their friendship over the years and the standard of coverage they have set to keep the Guru on his game.
Also, the 2 p.m. event in the East will be streamed at Temple's web site on the internet. If you have not watched one of these webcasts before, visit the site a little early because you have to register. There is no charge.)
By Mel Greenberg
I
PHILADELPHIA - Even as Temple officials prepared to spend a while fishing around for a new women’s basketball coach, athletic director Bill Bradshaw knew in an early catch they had hooked the star of Tuesday’s introductory press conference at the Liacouras Center.
“Exceptional,” was a word repeated several times Monday by Bradshaw in describing Tonya Cardoza, a longtime assistant at Connecticut.
He applied it to Cardoza’s 14 years under Norristown’s Geno Auriemma that has included five NCAA titles with the Huskies.
Bradshaw classified the 39-year-old Cardoza as a “thoroughbred,” referring to native of Roxbury, Mass., and her playing career at Virginia. It was in Charlottesville that she was associated with another Hall of Fame coach in Debbie Ryan.
Most important was the budding friendship with Cavaliers teammate Dawn Staley, the legendary basketball legend from Philadelphia.
Two decades later that relationship has led to Cardoza landing her first head coaching job, succeeding Staley who has departed for South Carolina after an eight-year run with the Owls that is tops in the program’s history.
Cardoza arrives ready to build on Staley’s achievements that include six NCAA appearances, four Atlantic Ten titles and domination of the Big Five.
She was on campus Monday afternoon having separate meetings with Temple’s upper classwomen and the younger group to deliver separate speeches according to a source knowledgeable of Cardoza’s introductory remarks.
It will be a whirlwind day on Tuesday because Temple was also setting up a teleconference for Cardoza with the Connecticut writers who won't be in town and there are several TV appearances scheduled later in the afternoon.
“You have a candidate who knows what she’s accepting, who knows what she’s getting into, and wanted to be here,” Bradshaw said. “She knows exactly the time and place where Temple basketball is. She was a fascinating candidate who did a terrific job in her interview.”
Awareness includes moving from a team that perennially contends for the NCAA title to one that is aspiring to break into the Sweet 16.
In her 14 seasons at Connecticut, the Huskies’ won-loss record is 465-41, five NCAA titles in eight Women’s Final Four appearances, 12 Big East regular season crowns and 11 conference tournament titles.
It means leaving a locale whose two home court venues in Storrs on campus at Gampel Pavilion and in Hartford at the XL Center includes thousands in the stands. Attendance at the Liacouras Center improved in the Staley era but was still usually barely half full at major confrontations.
As far as media attention, the good news is that once the hoopla over Cardoza settles down there will be less distractions to occupy her time.
In terms of impressing recruits, however, that will also be the bad news.
Staley’s personal reputation as a WNBA All-Star and Olympic gold medalist point guard got her into homes Temple could never get past the knock on the door prior to her arrival.
A key to Cardoza selling herself and her new program might come from a presence with strong local knowledge on Cardoza’s new staff, although Temple provides a substantial budget that allowed Staley to recruit nationally.
Asked Monday if she might be interested in moving from La Salle back to Temple where she was Staley’s first point guard, Stacey Smalls, a Cheltenham grad, said, “Hey, it’s my alma mater. Do I have to say anything more?”
Tina Nicholson, a former Penn State star guard from Downingtown, has expressed interest recently in joining the coaching profession.
Former 76er broadcaster Steve Mix, who once coached the Toledo women and is the father of former Villanova star Courtney Mix and former Drexel star Stephanie Mix is also rumored to have contacted Temple.
Dan Durkin, a former Duquesne coach from Philadelphia with extensive knowledge of the conference, might also be out there to be had in several places as an assistant coach.
Holy Family’s Mike McLaughlin, whose Tigers are a national power in Division II, might also be available.
Terms of Cardoza’s deal have not been revealed but a source knowledgeable with the negotiations said its length was five years.
Staley was earning a $500,000 package when she left. Cardoza couldn’t be expected to earn that much as a rookie coach. But in light of a need to rebuild an entire coaching staff with four positions to be filled, the overall program will continue to be well funded.
“Everyone knows we have a major commitment to women’s basketball,” Bradshaw said.
Auriemma contacted Bradshaw early to support Cardoza’s candidacy.
“He called me early, well before I met Tonya,” Bradshaw said. “He’s brutally frank in the way he talks to you and won’t let his coaches go anywhere they can’t be successful. He obviously wants his coaches to succeed. I was impressed by his candor and what he thought.
“He did say to me that in doing it the right way, having somebody who knows what it takes to be successful at the highest levels of Division I basketball in recruiting and in coaching, in practice and in total organization, that we couldn’t get anyone better at the time.”
Ryan recalled recruiting Cardoza, who was a year ahead of Staley and Tammi Reiss, the duo that helped Cardoza appear in two Women’s Final Fours prior to her graduation in 1991.
“She was a great scorer, but she also was an astounding rebounder,” Ryan said. “She was always a tough matchup.
“At UConn, she was a hidden jewel. Now she’s going to find her own way to success after being mentored by one of the best coaches in the game.”
Cardoza is the sixth former player of Ryan’s to become a head coach following Staley, Alabama-Birmingham’s Audra Smith, Albany University’s Trina Patterson, Colorado's Kathy McConnell-Miller, and Jenny Boucek of the WNBA’s Sacramento Monarchs.
“She played for Virginia, what else is there to day?” Boucek quipped Monday about Cardoza’s hiring.
Auriemma, who was in Tampa, Fla., Monday night to see former Huskies star Rebecca Lobo inducted into the College Sports Information Directors’ Academic All-America Hall of Fame, was hoping to be at Tuesday’s press conference.
He credited Cardoza with “developing some of the best players ever to play at this level,” citing her work with such All-American guards as Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Jennifer Rizzotti. “I’ve always said we have the best staff in the country and Tonya has been a big part of that.”
Auriemma cited Cardoza for “being part of all the championships.”
“Tonya will be a great head coach and the staff at Temple is going to love her.”
(click her to keep reading on the jump)
Former Huskies Ecstatic
Taurasi, an Olympian and member of the defending WNBA champion Phoenix Mercury, was ecstatic Monday at the news of Cardoza.
“Tonya will be an amazing coach at Temple,” Taurasi said. “She is one of the best coaches I’ve had in terms of the way she interacts her players. Working with the guards I spent quite a lot of time with her. She is going to be great.”
Charde Houston, a WNBA rookie with the Minnesota Lynx who starred with the Huskies, also expressed joy for her former coach and spoke much longer than during her collegiate career that included a love-moody relationship with Auriemma.
“I know that Tonya will do a great job at Temple,” Houston said. “She was the one who recruited me to come to UConn and I can’t wait to see what the (Owls) program will be like in five years under her leadership.
“Dawn Staley has done an amazing job at Temple University, but I think that Tonya can definitely match that,” Houston continued.
“After someone who has been at UConn for so long, you get used to them just being there and around the program. It never crosses your mind that they can leave one day. Upon hearing the news I am ecstatic. I am so happy for her because she really knows the game. I think she will do a great job at Temple.
“For 14 seasons, she has been under coach Auriemma, who has paved the way for her. He is one of the greatest coaches who has ever coached in the history of basketball,” Houston said.
“Just being under him for 14 years, she only knows what she knows from the best in the business. I think she will undoubtedly do a great job.”
Cardoza is the most recent of four minority hires at prominent Division I programs, including former Notre Dame associate head coach Coquese Washington at Penn State and former Rutgers associate head coach Jolette Law at Illinois a year ago. Staley is the other this year at South Carolina.
Penn State’s Washington sent a warm note of congratulations.
“I am so thrilled for Tonya,” Washington said. “I have known her and competed against her for many years and Temple is very fortunate to have her lead their program. I have no doubt she will bring the same excellence to the Temple program that she experienced at Connecticut.”
Two Atlantic Ten coaches who will be future rivals also reacted, including second-year Charlotte coach Karen Aston and Xavier’s Kevin McGuff, coach of the defending conference champions.
“Just being new to the league myself, everything has been a first impression,” Aston said Monday. “I hated that (former GW head coach) Joe (McKeown) and Dawn left the league because they were great ambassadors.
“On the other hand it speaks volumes that Tonya has taken the position at Temple. I am sure there have been other opportunities, but she sees the potential there at Temple and in the Atlantic Ten.”
McGuff added, “Tonya Cardoza has a tremendous winning pedigree and will be a great addition to the Atlantic Ten. She is a terrific selection to build upon what has been established at Temple.”
Penn coach Pat Knapp, who was on opposite sides of Cardoza at Georgetown going against the Huskies in the Big East, is looking forward to their new relationship in the Big Five.
“She has a tremendous knowledge of the game. I can’t wait to be working with her,” Knapp said.
Temple was busy Monday phoning invitations to Tonya’s introduction but most Big Five coaches are already on the road recruiting. St. Joseph’s coach Cindy Griffin gave birth to a baby boy Monday morning (see post below), joining daughters Kaylie and Hannah.
Incoming Atlantic Ten commissioner Bernadette McGlade is still with the Atlantic Coast Conference in Greensboro, N.C., before taking her new job in center city Philadelphia later this month.
-- Mel
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