Eric
04-17-2003, 04:27 PM
For Immediate Release April 17, 2003
Contact: Stephen A. Gorchov
NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball
USA YOUNG WOMEN COACHING STAFF COMPLETED WITH NAMING OF HOFSTRA’S FELISHA LEGETTE-JACK AND HARVARD’S KATHY DELANEY-SMITH
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 17, 2003) -- The 2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women coaching staff was completed with the addition of a pair of collegiate head coaches, Harvard University’s (Mass.) Kathy Delaney-Smith and Hofstra University’s (N.Y.) Felisha Legette-Jack. The two will serve as assistant coaches to previously named USA head coach, Ohio State University’s Jim Foster, USA Basketball announced today.
The selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men’s and Women’s Athletics Chris Plonsky. The trio of coaches will guide the eventual 12-member team comprised of elite athletes 21-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1982) in hopes of capturing the inaugural FIBA World Championship For Young Women gold medal. The event is scheduled to take place July 25 - Aug. 3 in Sibenik, Croatia.
Because the U.S. squad will be made up of players no older than 21, many of the athletes could be selected from the talent-laden group of this year’s college juniors and sophomores. Trials to determine the 2003 USA Young Women National Team will be held May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. USA team training plans will be announced at a later date.
“This is a great opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the country in Kathy Delaney-Smith,†said Foster. “Year in and year out her teams perform at a very high level and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with her. Additionally, Felisha Legette-Jack’s varied experiences as an assistant coach will greatly help in our preparations as we get ready for the World Championship For Young Women this summer.â€ÂÂ
FELISHA LEGETTE-JACK
“I am very, very excited about this opportunity,†said Legette-Jack, who after serving as an assistant coach at a trio of schools, recently concluded her first season as a head coach of her own program. “This has always been a goal of mine, to be a part of a USA Basketball coaching staff, ever since I started coaching. I was an assistant to Marianna Freeman (formerly with Syracuse), who has been involved in USA Basketball, and Rene Portland (Penn State), who has also coached USA Basketball teams, is a mentor of mine. Watching them, I hoped that one day I would have this kind of an opportunity.
“More than anything, it’s a privilege and an honor to coach with Jim Foster. I know that I am going to grow as a coach this summer with his expertise.â€ÂÂ
An 11-year assistant coach (1991-92 through 2001-02) at programs like Boston College (Mass.), Michigan State University and Syracuse University (N.Y.), Legette-Jack was named the head coach at Hofstra on April 17, 2002. She is in the early stages of rebuilding after taking over a program that had just one winning season since 1983-84.
Prior to arriving at Hofstra, Legette-Jack was a two-year assistant at Michigan State (2000-01 and 2001-02), where she helped take the Spartans from a 10-18 record in her first season to a 19-13 record the following year. In addition to the turnaround, the MSU squad advanced to the 2002 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) semifinals.
Legette-Jack served the Orangewomen as a seven-year assistant beginning with the 1993-94 season. Gaining valuable experience under the tutelage of 2002 USA Basketball World Championship Team and 1997 USA Junior World Championship Team assistant coach Freeman, Legette-Jack served as the recruiting coordinator and oversaw the team’s conditioning schedule. Legette-Jack began her collegiate coaching career at Boston College, where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach (1992-93 and 1993-94).
A four-year letterwinner at Syracuse (1986-1989), Legette-Jack helped the Orangewomen to a 71-44 record (.617) during her four seasons there. Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Legette-Jack aided her 1987-88 squad to a 22-9 record, the Big East Conference Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament second round. A three-time All-Big East selection, Legette-Jack was twice named as a Kodak All-America honorable mention and also was tabbed 1985 Big East Rookie of the Year.
KATHY DELANEY-SMITH
“I am thrilled beyond belief,†said Delaney-Smith, who in 2002-03 captured her eighth Ivy League championship since taking over Harvard’s helm in 1982-83. “The whole USA Basketball program and the opportunity it provides kids, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for me. Everyone I’ve talked to who has been involved with USA Basketball raves about the program and has had a great time. This is a great opportunity to work with some of the elite young women in the country and I’m very much looking forward to it. “Jim (Foster) and I go way back and I’ve always thought that he is one of the best in the country. When people ask me to name some of the top coaches, he’s always way up there. He’s the best of the best and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity to soak up everything I can from him this summer.â€ÂÂ
In her 21 seasons at Harvard, Delaney-Smith has compiled a 319-229 (.582) overall record, including 194-92 (.678) in the Ivy League, and is the winningest coach in conference history. In all, Delaney-Smith has produced seven 20-win seasons, collected eight Ivy League championships, advanced teams to five NCAA Tournaments and her squads have finished at no less than .500 in 15 of the past 18 seasons.
In her fourth season at Harvard Delaney-Smith piloted her 1985-86 squad to a 20-7 overall record and with a 9-3 showing in the Ivy League, captured the Crimson’s first conference title in the history of the program. She again led her teams to the Ivy League titles in 1987-88 and 1990-91, both times with 12-2 records.
Between the 1995-96 and 1997-98 seasons, Delaney-Smith strung together the most successful three seasons in Harvard’s history of women’s basketball and led the Crimson to a trio of Ivy League titles, earning three NCAA Tournament berths in the process. Also, after posting a 14-0 conference record in 1996-97, Delaney-Smith was honored as 1997 Ivy League Coach of the Year. Compiling a 63-19 record over those three seasons, perhaps the most memorable victory was a record-breaking win in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Earning the Ivy League’s automatic berth into the 1998 NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed, Harvard met Stanford, a No. 1 seed, in the opening round. Collecting its first victory in NCAA play, 71-67, Harvard accomplished what no other team, men or women, has ever done – defeat the No. 1 seed as a No. 16 seed – and advanced to the second round.
Most recently, in 2002-03, Delaney-Smith guided Harvard to its second undefeated Ivy League finish and an overall 22-5 record to advance to the program’s fifth NCAA Tournament. The previous year Delaney-Smith’s squad posted a 22-6 record, captured the conference crown and earned a 2002 NCAA Tournament berth.
Delaney-Smith’s actions have not gone unnoticed by her peers. In 1998 she was named the WBCA District I Coach of the Year following a stellar 23-5 season. Further, Delaney-Smith was honored with the 2000 Carol Eckman Award, given annually to an active WBCA coach who exemplifies the former West Chester State College (Pa.) head coach’s spirit, integrity, sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose.
Prior to arriving at Harvard, Delaney-Smith served as the head coach at Westwood High School (Mass.), where she racked up a 204-31 (.868) record, while putting together six undefeated regular seasons and earning one state championship. The 1981 National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year, in 1986 Delaney-Smith was the first woman named to the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. A 1971 graduate of Bridgewater State College (Mass.), Delaney-Smith was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame 1999. Additionally, she was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame in 1998.
In addition to Plonsky, the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee is comprised of NAIA designee Stephanie Findley (head coach, Oklahoma Christian University); NCAA appointees Elaine Elliott (head coach, University of Utah), Gail Goestenkors (head coach, Duke University, N.C.), Donna Noonan (Vice President, Women’s Basketball Championship, NCAA) and Willette White (head coach, Northeastern University, Mass.); representing the NJCAA is Mary Ellen Leicht (Assistant Executive Director, NJCAA); Muffet McGraw (head coach, Notre Dame University, Ind.) was appointed by the WBCA and Teresa Edwards (2000, 1996, 1992, 1988 and 1984 Olympian, 1994, 1990 and 1986 World Championship teams / Smyrna, Ga.) and Vickie Orr-Wiley (1992 Olympic bronze medalist, 1990 World Championship gold medalist / Birmingham, Ala.) are the athlete representatives.
2003 FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR YOUNG WOMEN
Twelve nations are set to send their top 21-and-under female athletes to the inaugural 2003 FIBA World Championship For Young Women, slated for July 25 - Aug. 5 in Sibenik, Croatia. To be eligible to compete for this elite USA Basketball squad, an athlete must be a citizen of the United States born on or before Jan. 1, 1982.
The United States qualified for the event by virtue of its gold medal finish at the 2002 FIBA Americas (formerly COPABA) World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament. Under the guidance of Texas Tech University head coach Marsha Sharp, the U.S. bested host Brazil 81-50 in the gold medal contest after first downing Venezuela (100-40) and Argentina (107-70) in preliminary play and Puerto Rico (123-50) in semifinal action.
As the host country, Croatia earned an automatic bid to the World Championship For Young Women, while the remaining 11 nations had to compete in zone qualifying tournaments to earn a berth. In addition to the three countries from the America’s Zone, Argentina, Brazil and the United States; included in the 2003 field will be 2002 African Young Women champion Tunisia; Asia Young Women gold medalist China and silver medalist South Korea; European Championship For Young Women top finisher the Czech Republic, silver medalist Russia, bronze medalist France and European fourth place finisher Latvia; while Australia earned Oceania’s lone qualifying spot.
Seven of the top nine finishers at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship are among the 12 nations which will compete for gold this summer, including the Czech Republic (gold), Russia (silver), USA (bronze), Australia (4th
place), France (5th place), Brazil (7th place) and China (9th).
2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Jim Foster, The Ohio State University
Assistant Coach: Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard University (Mass.)
Assistant Coach: Felisha Legette-Jack, Hofstra University (N.Y.)
SCHEDULE ONLINE:
http://www.usabasketball.com/women/03_wcyw_results.html
MORE IN-DEPTH TOURNEY INFO:
http://www.usabasketball.com/women/03_wcyw_roster.html
Contact: Stephen A. Gorchov
NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball
USA YOUNG WOMEN COACHING STAFF COMPLETED WITH NAMING OF HOFSTRA’S FELISHA LEGETTE-JACK AND HARVARD’S KATHY DELANEY-SMITH
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (April 17, 2003) -- The 2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women coaching staff was completed with the addition of a pair of collegiate head coaches, Harvard University’s (Mass.) Kathy Delaney-Smith and Hofstra University’s (N.Y.) Felisha Legette-Jack. The two will serve as assistant coaches to previously named USA head coach, Ohio State University’s Jim Foster, USA Basketball announced today.
The selections were made by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee, chaired by University of Texas Senior Associate Athletics Director for Men’s and Women’s Athletics Chris Plonsky. The trio of coaches will guide the eventual 12-member team comprised of elite athletes 21-years-old or younger (born on or after Jan. 1, 1982) in hopes of capturing the inaugural FIBA World Championship For Young Women gold medal. The event is scheduled to take place July 25 - Aug. 3 in Sibenik, Croatia.
Because the U.S. squad will be made up of players no older than 21, many of the athletes could be selected from the talent-laden group of this year’s college juniors and sophomores. Trials to determine the 2003 USA Young Women National Team will be held May 22-25 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. USA team training plans will be announced at a later date.
“This is a great opportunity to work with one of the best coaches in the country in Kathy Delaney-Smith,†said Foster. “Year in and year out her teams perform at a very high level and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with her. Additionally, Felisha Legette-Jack’s varied experiences as an assistant coach will greatly help in our preparations as we get ready for the World Championship For Young Women this summer.â€ÂÂ
FELISHA LEGETTE-JACK
“I am very, very excited about this opportunity,†said Legette-Jack, who after serving as an assistant coach at a trio of schools, recently concluded her first season as a head coach of her own program. “This has always been a goal of mine, to be a part of a USA Basketball coaching staff, ever since I started coaching. I was an assistant to Marianna Freeman (formerly with Syracuse), who has been involved in USA Basketball, and Rene Portland (Penn State), who has also coached USA Basketball teams, is a mentor of mine. Watching them, I hoped that one day I would have this kind of an opportunity.
“More than anything, it’s a privilege and an honor to coach with Jim Foster. I know that I am going to grow as a coach this summer with his expertise.â€ÂÂ
An 11-year assistant coach (1991-92 through 2001-02) at programs like Boston College (Mass.), Michigan State University and Syracuse University (N.Y.), Legette-Jack was named the head coach at Hofstra on April 17, 2002. She is in the early stages of rebuilding after taking over a program that had just one winning season since 1983-84.
Prior to arriving at Hofstra, Legette-Jack was a two-year assistant at Michigan State (2000-01 and 2001-02), where she helped take the Spartans from a 10-18 record in her first season to a 19-13 record the following year. In addition to the turnaround, the MSU squad advanced to the 2002 Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) semifinals.
Legette-Jack served the Orangewomen as a seven-year assistant beginning with the 1993-94 season. Gaining valuable experience under the tutelage of 2002 USA Basketball World Championship Team and 1997 USA Junior World Championship Team assistant coach Freeman, Legette-Jack served as the recruiting coordinator and oversaw the team’s conditioning schedule. Legette-Jack began her collegiate coaching career at Boston College, where she spent two seasons as an assistant coach (1992-93 and 1993-94).
A four-year letterwinner at Syracuse (1986-1989), Legette-Jack helped the Orangewomen to a 71-44 record (.617) during her four seasons there. Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder, Legette-Jack aided her 1987-88 squad to a 22-9 record, the Big East Conference Tournament finals and the NCAA Tournament second round. A three-time All-Big East selection, Legette-Jack was twice named as a Kodak All-America honorable mention and also was tabbed 1985 Big East Rookie of the Year.
KATHY DELANEY-SMITH
“I am thrilled beyond belief,†said Delaney-Smith, who in 2002-03 captured her eighth Ivy League championship since taking over Harvard’s helm in 1982-83. “The whole USA Basketball program and the opportunity it provides kids, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime for me. Everyone I’ve talked to who has been involved with USA Basketball raves about the program and has had a great time. This is a great opportunity to work with some of the elite young women in the country and I’m very much looking forward to it. “Jim (Foster) and I go way back and I’ve always thought that he is one of the best in the country. When people ask me to name some of the top coaches, he’s always way up there. He’s the best of the best and I’m going to take advantage of this opportunity to soak up everything I can from him this summer.â€ÂÂ
In her 21 seasons at Harvard, Delaney-Smith has compiled a 319-229 (.582) overall record, including 194-92 (.678) in the Ivy League, and is the winningest coach in conference history. In all, Delaney-Smith has produced seven 20-win seasons, collected eight Ivy League championships, advanced teams to five NCAA Tournaments and her squads have finished at no less than .500 in 15 of the past 18 seasons.
In her fourth season at Harvard Delaney-Smith piloted her 1985-86 squad to a 20-7 overall record and with a 9-3 showing in the Ivy League, captured the Crimson’s first conference title in the history of the program. She again led her teams to the Ivy League titles in 1987-88 and 1990-91, both times with 12-2 records.
Between the 1995-96 and 1997-98 seasons, Delaney-Smith strung together the most successful three seasons in Harvard’s history of women’s basketball and led the Crimson to a trio of Ivy League titles, earning three NCAA Tournament berths in the process. Also, after posting a 14-0 conference record in 1996-97, Delaney-Smith was honored as 1997 Ivy League Coach of the Year. Compiling a 63-19 record over those three seasons, perhaps the most memorable victory was a record-breaking win in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Earning the Ivy League’s automatic berth into the 1998 NCAA Tournament as a No. 16 seed, Harvard met Stanford, a No. 1 seed, in the opening round. Collecting its first victory in NCAA play, 71-67, Harvard accomplished what no other team, men or women, has ever done – defeat the No. 1 seed as a No. 16 seed – and advanced to the second round.
Most recently, in 2002-03, Delaney-Smith guided Harvard to its second undefeated Ivy League finish and an overall 22-5 record to advance to the program’s fifth NCAA Tournament. The previous year Delaney-Smith’s squad posted a 22-6 record, captured the conference crown and earned a 2002 NCAA Tournament berth.
Delaney-Smith’s actions have not gone unnoticed by her peers. In 1998 she was named the WBCA District I Coach of the Year following a stellar 23-5 season. Further, Delaney-Smith was honored with the 2000 Carol Eckman Award, given annually to an active WBCA coach who exemplifies the former West Chester State College (Pa.) head coach’s spirit, integrity, sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose.
Prior to arriving at Harvard, Delaney-Smith served as the head coach at Westwood High School (Mass.), where she racked up a 204-31 (.868) record, while putting together six undefeated regular seasons and earning one state championship. The 1981 National High School Coaches Association Coach of the Year, in 1986 Delaney-Smith was the first woman named to the Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame. A 1971 graduate of Bridgewater State College (Mass.), Delaney-Smith was inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame 1999. Additionally, she was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002 and the New Agenda Northeast Hall of Fame in 1998.
In addition to Plonsky, the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee is comprised of NAIA designee Stephanie Findley (head coach, Oklahoma Christian University); NCAA appointees Elaine Elliott (head coach, University of Utah), Gail Goestenkors (head coach, Duke University, N.C.), Donna Noonan (Vice President, Women’s Basketball Championship, NCAA) and Willette White (head coach, Northeastern University, Mass.); representing the NJCAA is Mary Ellen Leicht (Assistant Executive Director, NJCAA); Muffet McGraw (head coach, Notre Dame University, Ind.) was appointed by the WBCA and Teresa Edwards (2000, 1996, 1992, 1988 and 1984 Olympian, 1994, 1990 and 1986 World Championship teams / Smyrna, Ga.) and Vickie Orr-Wiley (1992 Olympic bronze medalist, 1990 World Championship gold medalist / Birmingham, Ala.) are the athlete representatives.
2003 FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR YOUNG WOMEN
Twelve nations are set to send their top 21-and-under female athletes to the inaugural 2003 FIBA World Championship For Young Women, slated for July 25 - Aug. 5 in Sibenik, Croatia. To be eligible to compete for this elite USA Basketball squad, an athlete must be a citizen of the United States born on or before Jan. 1, 1982.
The United States qualified for the event by virtue of its gold medal finish at the 2002 FIBA Americas (formerly COPABA) World Championship For Young Women Qualifying Tournament. Under the guidance of Texas Tech University head coach Marsha Sharp, the U.S. bested host Brazil 81-50 in the gold medal contest after first downing Venezuela (100-40) and Argentina (107-70) in preliminary play and Puerto Rico (123-50) in semifinal action.
As the host country, Croatia earned an automatic bid to the World Championship For Young Women, while the remaining 11 nations had to compete in zone qualifying tournaments to earn a berth. In addition to the three countries from the America’s Zone, Argentina, Brazil and the United States; included in the 2003 field will be 2002 African Young Women champion Tunisia; Asia Young Women gold medalist China and silver medalist South Korea; European Championship For Young Women top finisher the Czech Republic, silver medalist Russia, bronze medalist France and European fourth place finisher Latvia; while Australia earned Oceania’s lone qualifying spot.
Seven of the top nine finishers at the 2001 FIBA Junior World Championship are among the 12 nations which will compete for gold this summer, including the Czech Republic (gold), Russia (silver), USA (bronze), Australia (4th
place), France (5th place), Brazil (7th place) and China (9th).
2003 USA Basketball World Championship For Young Women Coaching Staff
Head Coach: Jim Foster, The Ohio State University
Assistant Coach: Kathy Delaney-Smith, Harvard University (Mass.)
Assistant Coach: Felisha Legette-Jack, Hofstra University (N.Y.)
SCHEDULE ONLINE:
http://www.usabasketball.com/women/03_wcyw_results.html
MORE IN-DEPTH TOURNEY INFO:
http://www.usabasketball.com/women/03_wcyw_roster.html