After 5 yrs the program is no better then it was when she took over. Her best player was recruited by the previous coach, not unlike Jud. She was a top asst at ND but maybe ND just recruited itself. It appears she had trouble recruiting and maybe she knew that she had no prospects on the line to become a championship team. There were two of the greatest NIU women plyers on this staff, Owens and EC Hill and it paid no dividends. Its a shame because everyone thought this was a perfect fit. Just goes to show you it diffcult to predict these days how a coach will do

I wonder if Compher wanted her to go, but he realized how bad it would make NIU look in the coaching ranks what with the acclaim she received from her USA basketball stint. I wonder if he nudged her to throw herself on her sword and resign for personal reasons by playing on her loyalty to NIU. Compher seems to be a straight shooter so I'd hope it didn't come down that way. Of course there is always the burnout factor. It seems to me that when you don't have success early, and haven't sown the seeds for future succes in your program ( like Joe did with football) assessing where you are and where your "plan" is could be pretty damn depressing. Its not easy to re-invent yourself.

(05-04-2010 09:51 AM)Fade2black Wrote:  I wonder if Compher wanted her to go, but he realized how bad it would make NIU look in the coaching ranks what with the acclaim she received from her USA basketball stint. I wonder if he nudged her to throw herself on her sword and resign for personal reasons by playing on her loyalty to NIU. Compher seems to be a straight shooter so I'd hope it didn't come down that way. Of course there is always the burnout factor. It seems to me that when you don't have success early, and haven't sown the seeds for future succes in your program ( like Joe did with football) assessing where you are and where your "plan" is could be pretty damn depressing. Its not easy to re-invent yourself.

too leave that much money left on her contract tells me something else is at work.

Fade, if she was nudged to the door, I'm sure she'd have got money. If she wanted to be here, she's not leaving that kind of cash on the table. As GCD says, I think it's safe to something else was at work here.

It's not hard to believe she was just burned out. A lot of pressure was put on her when she came back here, and I imagine not being successful could have definitely got to her.

I wonder too if some of the player issues that arose during the season were signs of something brewing. Tenisha Wilson gets booted, even Adams gets a one game suspension. I didn't think the team had much chemistry either. Some of the looks that players shot at each other at times made me wonder what was going on.

On a note about how you never know who will be successful...when Loyola hired Shannon Reidy from Mother McAuley I thought Owens had a serious rival for recruiting local kids and that Reidy might give Bruno a run for his money at DePaul. I think she lasted three years and was gone. I'm really gald they don't take bets in Vegas hedging coaches
records. I'd be more broke than I am.

(05-04-2010 12:38 PM)Fade2black Wrote:  I wonder too if some of the player issues that arose during the season were signs of something brewing. Tenisha Wilson gets booted, even Adams gets a one game suspension. I didn't think the team had much chemistry either. Some of the looks that players shot at each other at times made me wonder what was going on.

On a note about how you never know who will be successful...when Loyola hired Shannon Reidy from Mother McAuley I thought Owens had a serious rival for recruiting local kids and that Reidy might give Bruno a run for his money at DePaul. I think she lasted three years and was gone. I'm really gald they don't take bets in Vegas hedging coaches
records. I'd be more broke than I am.

All the accolades she recieved, being named to be an asst coach on those national teams, having her, Hill and Carl Armato as assts (NIU grads), a new arena, none of that filtered down to improving her team. On future NIU coaching changes, I will hold my opinion until after the 2nd year in the job.

(05-03-2010 05:17 PM)Ben Gross Wrote:  I've covered women's basketball for four years and something seems off with this resignation.

Look at the quotes that Owens shared with me in a conversation:

http://www.northernstar.info/ArticlePage...ionfrom=20

“I can say it’s one of the hardest things I had to do in my life,” Owens said. “I care about and want what’s best for the team. I felt at this time, I had to take a step back.”

“I put in what needed to be done for NIU,” Owens said. “It’s a great place.”

“Coaching is in my blood,” Owens said. “I don’t feel like I can step away from coaching. I feel like I need to step away from coaching at NIU. Right now, I’m going to just take a little break. Right now, this is the best decision at this time.”

“Coaching here was a dream come true,” Owens said. “It is difficult to leave NIU, but it’s the best decision for everyone.”

“It was my decision alone,” Owens said. “It had nothing to do with the team. The administration was supportive. It was with me, personally.”

From my conversation with Owens this what I took away:
1) Coaching at NIU was her dream job
2) The next head coach at NIU needs to care about the players, build upon the program she set the foundation for, have a passion for NIU basketball and engage the alumns (this is from the article but Owens told me this). Basically the next head coach needs to be Owens.
3) Owens is not done coaching. Coaching is in her blood.
4) Owens made a personal decision to walk away from a profession she wants to continue, although she's already landed her dream job and believes the foundation she has created is able to win.

Part four makes no sense. I don't know what it is, but there's something more and bigger going on here. We're not getting the full story. I don't think Owens really wants to stop coaching at NIU, but something is stopping her. Whatever it is, she doing it because it's best for the women's basketball program. She's falling on the sword for someone or something to protect the program.

Hi Ben. Russ in Media Relations here.

Despite being close with the team, I don't have any special insight or knowledge on this. But I think everyone would agree that there are more important things than careers in this world (family and friends being the first two that come to my mind). People are multidimensional. I am not just my work, or a member of my family, or a friend, or a son, or my religion. I am an amalgam of all those things.

In the same light, NIU could be Carol's dream job, she could believe the program is headed in the right direction and she could still want to coach, and she could still leave. As she said to you when you spoke to her, Carol left for personal reason.

Just because the reason is personal, doesn't mean she is "falling on the sword... to protect the program." It just means it's none of our business.

I know you're a bright enough guy to understand that.

(05-04-2010 04:47 PM)HuskieOne Wrote:  

(05-03-2010 05:17 PM)Ben Gross Wrote:  I've covered women's basketball for four years and something seems off with this resignation.

Look at the quotes that Owens shared with me in a conversation:

http://www.northernstar.info/ArticlePage...ionfrom=20

“I can say it’s one of the hardest things I had to do in my life,” Owens said. “I care about and want what’s best for the team. I felt at this time, I had to take a step back.”

“I put in what needed to be done for NIU,” Owens said. “It’s a great place.”

“Coaching is in my blood,” Owens said. “I don’t feel like I can step away from coaching. I feel like I need to step away from coaching at NIU. Right now, I’m going to just take a little break. Right now, this is the best decision at this time.”

“Coaching here was a dream come true,” Owens said. “It is difficult to leave NIU, but it’s the best decision for everyone.”

“It was my decision alone,” Owens said. “It had nothing to do with the team. The administration was supportive. It was with me, personally.”

From my conversation with Owens this what I took away:
1) Coaching at NIU was her dream job
2) The next head coach at NIU needs to care about the players, build upon the program she set the foundation for, have a passion for NIU basketball and engage the alumns (this is from the article but Owens told me this). Basically the next head coach needs to be Owens.
3) Owens is not done coaching. Coaching is in her blood.
4) Owens made a personal decision to walk away from a profession she wants to continue, although she's already landed her dream job and believes the foundation she has created is able to win.

Part four makes no sense. I don't know what it is, but there's something more and bigger going on here. We're not getting the full story. I don't think Owens really wants to stop coaching at NIU, but something is stopping her. Whatever it is, she doing it because it's best for the women's basketball program. She's falling on the sword for someone or something to protect the program.

Hi Ben. Russ in Media Relations here.

Despite being close with the team, I don't have any special insight or knowledge on this. But I think everyone would agree that there are more important things than careers in this world (family and friends being the first two that come to my mind). People are multidimensional. I am not just my work, or a member of my family, or a friend, or a son, or my religion. I am an amalgam of all those things.

In the same light, NIU could be Carol's dream job, she could believe the program is headed in the right direction and she could still want to coach, and she could still leave. As she said to you when you spoke to her, Carol left for personal reason.

Just because the reason is personal, doesn't mean she is "falling on the sword... to protect the program." It just means it's none of our business.

I know you're a bright enough guy to understand that.

Agree. It's personal. And as such, none of our business.

Back to Notre Dame?

(05-04-2010 08:34 PM)niufan99 Wrote:  Back to Notre Dame?

Wouldn't shock me one bit...

(05-04-2010 04:56 PM)thxjoenovak Wrote:  

(05-04-2010 04:47 PM)HuskieOne Wrote:  

(05-03-2010 05:17 PM)Ben Gross Wrote:  I've covered women's basketball for four years and something seems off with this resignation.

Look at the quotes that Owens shared with me in a conversation:

http://www.northernstar.info/ArticlePage...ionfrom=20

“I can say it’s one of the hardest things I had to do in my life,” Owens said. “I care about and want what’s best for the team. I felt at this time, I had to take a step back.”

“I put in what needed to be done for NIU,” Owens said. “It’s a great place.”

“Coaching is in my blood,” Owens said. “I don’t feel like I can step away from coaching. I feel like I need to step away from coaching at NIU. Right now, I’m going to just take a little break. Right now, this is the best decision at this time.”

“Coaching here was a dream come true,” Owens said. “It is difficult to leave NIU, but it’s the best decision for everyone.”

“It was my decision alone,” Owens said. “It had nothing to do with the team. The administration was supportive. It was with me, personally.”

From my conversation with Owens this what I took away:
1) Coaching at NIU was her dream job
2) The next head coach at NIU needs to care about the players, build upon the program she set the foundation for, have a passion for NIU basketball and engage the alumns (this is from the article but Owens told me this). Basically the next head coach needs to be Owens.
3) Owens is not done coaching. Coaching is in her blood.
4) Owens made a personal decision to walk away from a profession she wants to continue, although she's already landed her dream job and believes the foundation she has created is able to win.

Part four makes no sense. I don't know what it is, but there's something more and bigger going on here. We're not getting the full story. I don't think Owens really wants to stop coaching at NIU, but something is stopping her. Whatever it is, she doing it because it's best for the women's basketball program. She's falling on the sword for someone or something to protect the program.

Hi Ben. Russ in Media Relations here.

Despite being close with the team, I don't have any special insight or knowledge on this. But I think everyone would agree that there are more important things than careers in this world (family and friends being the first two that come to my mind). People are multidimensional. I am not just my work, or a member of my family, or a friend, or a son, or my religion. I am an amalgam of all those things.

In the same light, NIU could be Carol's dream job, she could believe the program is headed in the right direction and she could still want to coach, and she could still leave. As she said to you when you spoke to her, Carol left for personal reason.

Just because the reason is personal, doesn't mean she is "falling on the sword... to protect the program." It just means it's none of our business.

I know you're a bright enough guy to understand that.

Agree. It's personal. And as such, none of our business.

one of those girl things

She must have something lined up.

In this economy, or really any, no one walks away from a $150,000+ job without having something else lined up.

She may have "quit" but come to an agreement with NIU on a buyout of the package.

(05-05-2010 09:19 AM)NIU Chicago Wrote:  She must have something lined up.

In this economy, or really any, no one walks away from a $150,000+ job without having something else lined up.

She may have "quit" but come to an agreement with NIU on a buyout of the package.

In today's economy, if you quit, you are not going to get a buyout

if you "negotiated" a settlement, you might get a buyout...if the U wanted to "save face" by not firing a favorite of the program, an amicable departure which paid money in exchange for appearances could certainly be worked out...it would go something like this "we are going in another direction but if you wish to resign for "personal "reasons, we will pay you the last year of your deal...."

Notre Dame it is.. will be an assistant coach there.

Settles that.

(05-12-2010 11:25 PM)DSniu41 Wrote:  what a joke.. purposefully lied and resigned for "personal reasons" while having an associate coaching position lined up at Notre Dame

per HuskieWire, had she resigned because of the ND job she would've owed NIU $75K - but resigning for "personal reasons" she owes $0.. a wonderful ode to her alma mater

goodbye Carol! don't let the door hit you on the way out

Can't we sue her?

(05-12-2010 11:29 PM)rabidawg900 Wrote:  

(05-12-2010 11:25 PM)DSniu41 Wrote:  what a joke.. purposefully lied and resigned for "personal reasons" while having an associate coaching position lined up at Notre Dame

per HuskieWire, had she resigned because of the ND job she would've owed NIU $75K - but resigning for "personal reasons" she owes $0.. a wonderful ode to her alma mater

goodbye Carol! don't let the door hit you on the way out

Can't we sue her?

As much as this seems like a raw deal I think NIU will quietly accept this. With Grant retiring soon and Patton's contract coming up (most likely not renewed based on money first and foremost); I really have to think Compher is keeping his budget in mind and could be house cleaning some of these six-figure coaches who may come due for a new contract and maybe a raise. Except Jerry Kill that is, NIU Football is the cash cow. At just over $150,000 she's the third highest paid head coach (Ray Gooden fourth at $80,000+). I can't see Notre Dame giving her more but it may just be taking a good opportunity before the door gets shut on her at NIU for a coach that makes more down the lines of Ed Mathey's $65,000. Not saying this as fact, just playing devil's advocate.

I'm sure Compher is real thrilled he doesn't have have to pay her anymore to coach a losing program, but i don't see why it would be hard to get that 75k from her if they take it to court. Probably a real dumb move on her part to accept that position just two weeks after resigning.

(05-13-2010 12:04 AM)HuskieRak Wrote:  I'm sure Compher is real thrilled he doesn't have have to pay her anymore to coach a losing program, but i don't see why it would be hard to get that 75k from her if they take it to court. Probably a real dumb move on her part to accept that position just two weeks after resigning.

To play devil's advocate again: Anytime a well-liked coach, successful or not, leaves out of the blue; someone loses face. Could it be possible Compher was ready to pull the plug this year (which I'm assuming would be a buyout)? Losing the $75,000 could be the cheaper route. Owens leaves for "personal reasons", NIU loses the six-figure contract and doesn't have to buy her out, and both parties move on without a real issue. If NIU doesn't pursue the $75,000 maybe this is the case (or there's a loophole in her contract that allowed this to happen). Just a thought.

Owens-ND Press Release