What is the current position you hold with the University?

I am the new head Women’s basketball coach at the University of Oregon. For the last fourteen years, I was the head Women’s Basketball coach at Gonzaga University.

Did you play college basketball?

I played at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.

How did you get into coaching?

I did not plan on becoming a college basketball coach. After I graduated from New Mexico, I took the LSAT. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but I did not score so well on the test, I did not finish the last section. I took it as a sign from God that I was supposed to be doing something else. I stayed on at New Mexico and worked on my master’s degree then I started coaching at Moses Lake Community College. The rest is history. I loved what I was doing.

Is it difficult to leave a program and start at a new program?

It is the hardest thing I have ever done. That program [Gonzaga] was my program for fourteen years. I built that thing from scratch into one of the best programs in the nation and it was hard to leave. To look each one of those players in the eye, the day I told them I was coming to Oregon, saying, “I’m not going to be your coach anymore.” Yeah, that is one of the hardest things I have ever done.

What were some of the reasons behind you transferring to coach at Oregon?

I think number one, right off the bat, Oregon is what we consider home. My wife was born and raised here. We have family in the area. This place holds a special place in the heart. Second, at Gonzaga, I felt like we reached a ceiling in terms of where we could have gone. We had maximized our potential. I was ready for a new challenge. We had won ten straight league championships in a row. We were going to continue to be good and be relevant on a national stage. I think it was just the right time.I was looking for a new challenge and this was the only position in the PAC-12 that I would have left [Gonzaga] for. I think that, if I had not jumped at this opportunity, that I would have regretted it in future years. Everything synced up at the right time.

Was it a position that you sought out?

No, they called me.

What do you think about the current NCAA regulations for students?

I know in some sports, they can transfer with no penalty, and I think it should be that way for our sport. I think they shouldn’t have to sit out if they want to go to a new school. Give them a one-time transfer. There are so many different reasons that kids transfer.

As a coach, have you witnessed first hand the difficulties a student athlete has to go through, when attempting to transfer?

Absolutely. No question about it.