If you think UCLA men's basketball coach Steve Lavin has immense pressure to succeed at one of the most storied programs in all of college basketball, just wait until Jane Albright's successor steps through the door.
UW women's basketball has not reached elite status. Not yet, anyway. But that is not to say it cannot eventually compete against perennial powers such as Penn State, Connecticut and Tennessee. The problem is not only winning, rather, it is that everyone expects the program to succeed, making the feat much more difficult.
By declining to give Albright a long-term contract, Wisconsin has raised the bar for its most funded and supported women's sport. That could be a good omen for BadgerBall. Or it could fail miserably, mainly because of the immediate pressure to win and contend at the Big Ten and national levels.
\It just comes down to our feeling that there is more we can do,"" said UW Associate Athletic Director Jamie Pollard, following Albright's resignation two weeks ago. ""We just feel this is a great, great situation for women's basketball, from our fan support, to our facility, to our institution.""
Penn State Associate Athletic Director Jen James agrees that UW has the potential to become a national player. And she understands a successful women's program. The reigning Big Ten champions advanced to the Sweet 16 last year and reached the Final Four in 2000.
""I definitely think that UW can have a successful team,"" James said. ""UW has a lot of things going for it--a good staff, good fan base, [Wisconsin has] most of the pieces in place.""
But are these expectations too high or expected too soon?
Albright took over a program that had produced nine losing seasons in 10 years. She leaves as the winningest coach in UW history (161-107), earning a WNIT championship in 2000 and leading the Badgers to a 16-1 start and an unprecedented No. 5 ranking last year. But that wasn't enough. During her nine-year tenure, Albright failed to win a Big Ten title and accumulated a 2-5 NCAA tournament record, never advancing past the second round.
Pollard said the program's on-court success did not match the amount of resources committed to the program. It is clear that the athletic department expects BadgerBall to contend each year, starting next year.
""Our goal starts with the Big Ten conference,"" Pollard said. ""We want to, on a regular basis, compete for the Big Ten championship. We offer everything that any school that competes at that level does.""
But how soon is too soon? And how long will the next coach be allowed to turn fortunes around? These things cannot happen overnight. Not in one season and probably not in two. Yet, everyone seems to think it is possible.
No pressure at all. Me? I'll take the job in Westwood, Calif.
wrcooney@wisc.edu.
