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July 7, 2008

Shea Returning to UConn

UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma has not had to fill a vacancy in his coaching staff since Jamelle Elliott was hired in 1997. In the wake of seeing Tonya Cardoza move on to become the head coach at Temple last week, it did not take him long to find a qualified candidate to join his staff. And it’s another former player that is returning.
Former Huskies All-American Shea Ralph has been hired as the new assistant coach at UConn, joining associate head coach Chris Dailey and Elliott on Auriemma’s staff. Auriemma contacted Ralph last Thursday. She was interviewed for the position in Storrs Monday and she will begin her recruiting duties Wednesday.
``I am really excited about the opportunity to return to my home and to further my career at the University of Connecticut,’’ Ralph said in a statement. ``As a player and a student, I invested everything I had into the program and I am honored to have the chance to continue that as a member of the coaching staff.’’
Since the opening was made public potential applicants besieged the Huskies. On the first day, alone, they had roughly 200 resumes overnighted to them.
Ralph, 30, had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Big East rival Pittsburgh, where she primarily worked with the guards and also played a large role in developing the Panthers into a Top 25 program.
``When you lose someone like Tonya, who has been here for 14 years and has meant so much to our players, staff and program, it is not an easy role to fill,’’ Auriemma said in a statement. ``I know that Shea is the one person who can come in that will know exactly what UConn basketball is, what the expectation is, what type of player we want to recruit and how to coach and treat them once they are here.
``I am excited for our players and program, but most of all for Shea. I am thrilled and looking forward to her bringing the same passion to the coaching staff that she brought as a player. Her intensity is unmatched. I can’t wait to get started.’’
The Panthers were a combined 70-31 over the last three seasons, reaching the NCAA tournament in 2007 and 2008 (Sweet 16). They had never been to the NCAA tournament before 2007.
Pittsburgh rising senior Shavonte Zellous was named to the All-Big East first team in each of the last two seasons and was the conference Most Improved Player in 2006-07 under Ralph’s tutelage. Point guard Mallorie Winn earned all-conference second team honors in each of the last two seasons, while point guard Jania Sims was named to the conference All-Freshman Team in 2006-07.
``Surely I knew that Shea would move on, absolutely,’’ Pittsburgh coach Agnus Berenato said. ``Your goal as a head coach is to have your assistants move on to be head coaches. Shea had a real opportunity to be a head coach and she turned it down. So I feel like the only place Shea would leave us for was Connecticut.’’
The hiring of Ralph brings her back to the place where she became a national star as a player. She is currently ranked eighth all-time in UConn history in scoring (1,678), ninth in assists (456), fifth in steals (252) and fourth in field-goal percentage (.579).
Ralph enjoyed her finest season as a junior in 1999-00 when she served as a captain in leading the Huskies to the national championship in Philadelphia. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four that season, a Kodak and Associated Press first team All-American, the Big East Player of the Year and was the recipient of the Honda Award.
``It makes perfect sense,’’ said Kara Wolters, a former UConn All-American and a teammate of Ralph in 1996-97. ``She’s tough as nails. She’s brings an attitude that not many people have and a work ethic that not many people have. She’s just going to be awesome. I just think it couldn’t be any more perfect of a fit.’’

Rich

Posted by Elliott on July 7, 2008 1:06 PM

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Posted by: Mike at July 7, 2008 1:55 PM

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