Tia Jackson still looking for a buzz
by John Berkowitz on Dec 20, 2008 10:26 AM PST
Email
PrintOne of the more controversial moves that former UW Athletic Director Todd Turner did while at Washington was fire longtime Womens' basketball coach June Daugherty. June was canned by Turner after guiding the University of Washington women's basketball program for 11 years as its head coach and leading her teams to the postseason nine times with an overall record of 191-139.
She even led the team to the NCAA tournament in what was to be her final year and that wasn't good enough for Turner. She also had put together one of the top recruiting classes in the nation for the following season and that still wasn't good enough for Todd Turner.
"We just need to have a positive buzz in our community about our team. And it just wasn't there," athletic director Todd Turner said, after he announced he would not renew the contracts of Daugherty or any of her assistants, including her husband, Mike, following her 11th season at UW. Turner intimated that Daugherty didn't win enough, her team wasn't exciting, fans didn't come out enough, and she didn't recruit inner-city kids. But her teams won and players graduated.
Former Duke assistant Tia Jackson replaced Daugherty amid fanfare featuring the Huskies pep band and cheerleaders. Turner said he wanted to bring a "buzz" back to the program and, for one day anyway, got it. He indirectly generated a bigger buzz with the news of Daugherty's hiring by cross state rival Washington State, which eclipsed any buzz he tried to create with the hiring of Jackson.
Daugherty's final recruiting class at Washington which was ranked 12th in the nation revolted in mass and requested transfers to follow Daugherty or attend other schools. Turner wouldn't grant the releases and the highly ranked class showed up to play one mandatory lame duck season under Jackson. The results were predictable. The team didn't win under Jackson and there were wholesale defections even before the season ended.
This years team was off to a 5-3 start against questionable opposition before playing the other Huskies from U-Conn the other night in the Caribbean Classic in Cancun. Washington lost 109 to 51 and it goes down as the worst loss in Washington Women's basketball history. Talk about creating a buzz around the Puget Sound area. This lopsided and historic loss even got the attention of the most casual Women's basketball fan.
The Huskies did bounce back last night defeating Florida State 62-60 which was formerly ranked in the top twenty-five this season and that is a good news for a rebuilding squad led by an embattled head coach who was hired to create a buzz and put some people in the seats of Hec Edmundson Pavilion.
Jackson has her work cut out for her and the departed Todd Turner didn't do any favors for her by immediately handing her a controversial team of players that no longer wanted to be here. The truth is Tia Jackson is a good coach that can accomplish the goals set for her by her former boss. Given the time to recruit and mold her own players in her own tough image Jackson should be a success at Washington.
Given adequate time she just may do as well as June Daugherty did.
4 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
You're right Turner's "buzz" comment was stupid...
Let’s be clear Daugherty wasn’t recruiting the LOCAL inner-city that’s what’s important and on top of that she wasn’t bringing in elite athletes.
I always suspected that removing June Daugherty was the only thing Emmert & Todd Turner ever agreed upon. UW had an above average program but not an elite women’s program like LSU. Turner came from Vanderbilt a similar but recently more successful program than UW, and he saw the Tennessee Lady Vols program up close. They both knew Daugherty didn’t have “it” no matter how popular she was with middle-class season ticketholders that sent their daughters to her camps, when it wasn’t soccer season.
UW had become a nice little program that was satisfied with making the NCAA and then becoming roadkill. Not good enough at the “new” UW. June Daugherty was never going to win a National Championship. Ever.
However, as I said over at one of the Seattle rags, Coach J should have two seasons, this and next to get this program competing for a Pac-10 championship. By then, it will be obvious if she’s capable of becoming a top level Head Coach or if she’s just a top level assistant.
I agree 206.
If I remember correctly, June brought in nice classes but missed out on several Top 20 players that were in Seattle. I think there was a center out of the Seattle area who was #1 or #2 in the nation that went to somewhere else which may have been the last straw.
Everything Turner said or did was stupid...............
“may do as well” is correct.
Who will the next coach be??
Women and Money
I’m glad you are expanding your coverage of Husky sports programs. I do follow all the sports, and most of them don’t make money. Title IX is good for the school image if the sport is successful, but if it isn’t broke don’t fix it was not good enough for Turner who wanted bigger crowds. More Buzz.. Another no win situation he created for a new coach.
It would be interesting to get some information about how the Husky swimming program is doing at his time. I remember Barbara Hedges tried to end the program and the Alumni were up in arms. I’m sure that the swimming team might be at the bottom of the sports at Washington who don’t generate income.
I think we need to create a BUZZ in the football program andwin many games which will keep the money coming in.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
