Dear Friends,
Coach Gilbert of the women's basketball team has resigned. Effective April 6th. I wonder if this has anything to do with the opening of the U-M job?

(04-05-2012 09:26 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
Coach Gilbert of the women's basketball team has resigned. Effective April 6th. I wonder if this has anything to do with the opening of the U-M job?

This is the proverbial other show to drop...

One of the stories I heard a month ago is that the NCAA was pressuring EMU based on the NCAA violations.

I doubt it is for the UofM job.

I assume she resigned faced with the possibility of firing?????

I'm sure there will be MANY different rumors on this one.

That said, I would like to hear the REAL story, not Internet rumors...

EDIT: This sentence from the EMU release may provide more clues:

"An NCAA investigation into the women's basketball program is still ongoing. "

This sounds like she had to be fired/resign to satisfy the NCAA and try to mitigate more NCAA sanctions.

Dear emu steve,
Thanks for the enlightenment, and perspective. On another note, this could mean crash and burn with prospective recruits, and maybe a rebuilding program, just when I thought things were looking good for women's basketball.

bummer to see her go. she'll be missed.

Like Rosana Dana once said "It's always somethin" , especially with EMU sports.

Don't think any recruits were signed during the early signing period, maybe someone knows? Only losing 2 seniors but bigtime players. Usually when a new oach is brought on, the team has transfers leaving the program.

Superfan may know more about the womans program. Hope he comments,.

That's really going to hurt. First of all if there are serious NCAA sanctions that that will turned up the heat on Gragg who has done a good job of hiring overall. I can't recall the last time a EMU program was investigated by the NCAA. For that reason I will not miss Gilbert.

This means the new coach will not be able to recruit for the next year and the team already losses James and two seniors not counting players who may transfer. Who knows what sanctions there may be in terms of recruiting ie scholies.

Looks like a total rebuild to me.

If I were to bet on it, I'd bet that she was forced out because of the NCAA investigation.

I think it's safe to say that she's NOT resigning to take the U-M job; Borseth leaving for Green Bay was a surprise that only broke yesterday, and although there are a few coaches who might be hired in less than 24 hours (e.g. if I was an AD who thought I could get Geno Auriemma, I'd make the offer in a heartbeat), a coach whose resume highlight is a single MAC title and who is the subject of an ongoing NCAA investigation is not going to be on that list.

(04-05-2012 10:31 AM)cmadler Wrote:  If I were to bet on it, I'd bet that she was forced out because of the NCAA investigation.

I think it's safe to say that she's NOT resigning to take the U-M job; Borseth leaving for Green Bay was a surprise that only broke yesterday, and although there are a few coaches who might be hired in less than 24 hours (e.g. if I was an AD who thought I could get Geno Auriemma, I'd make the offer in a heartbeat), a coach whose resume highlight is a single MAC title and who is the subject of an ongoing NCAA investigation is not going to be on that list.

I agree completely w. cmadler.

Matter of the fact, the rumor of Gilbert's departure was started about a month ago (right before the start of the MAC tourney).

I heard the rumor from more than one person, both in Ypsilanti.

I just talked with someone in Ypsilanti and he'll try to get info, although I doubt there are any surprises here.

What effect this has on the team remains to be seen.

Will the program get a serious probation OR is the issue with Gilbert HERSELF?

IF the NCAA's issues are mostly related to Gilbert and her honesty with the NCAA, they could come down hard on her but spare the university.

IF the EMU athletic department was forthcoming in its dealings with the NCAA then EMU may not hit badly.

The problem didn't lead to big unfair advantages (e.g., recruiting violations such as impermissible benefits).

I don't see this is OSU or Miami(FL) football with serious issues w. impermissible benefits.

If EMU did 'right' by the NCAA, I don't see any problems for Gregg.

There is an old saying in Washington: "The coverup is usually worse than then crime".

Was there a coverup? If so, who? Gilbert? her staff? EMU athletic staff?

This is what the NCAA wants to know and will use to hand out penalties.

(04-05-2012 10:49 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Matter of the fact, the rumor of Gilbert's departure was started about a month ago (right before the start of the MAC tourney).

I heard the rumor from more than one person, both in Ypsilanti.

I heard some rumblings about this too, but nothing at the time solid enough to mention.

Hoopster/'79:

I'm not sure I share the black crepe.

Sure the team loses James and Redditt. Otherwise, this team will be very strong next year.

Gilbert didn't play a deep bench but she still has 5 or 6 players with known abilities, (e.g., Watkins, Fouty, Thomas, Hairston, Bird, etc. plus a couple more who could bloom with more PT).

Recruiting for '12/'13 isn't critical. Gilbert gave few minutes to frosh last year.

I don't think player transfers from a WINNING program are a given.

(04-05-2012 11:10 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Sure the team loses James and Redditt. Otherwise, this team will be very strong next year.

Gilbert didn't play a deep bench but she still has 5 or 6 players with known abilities, (e.g., Watkins, Fouty, Thomas, Hairston, Bird, etc. plus a couple more who could bloom with more PT).

Recruiting for '12/'13 isn't critical. Gilbert gave few minutes to frosh last year.

I agree. In fact, several times this year I was surprised by how little Gilbert went to the bench, even in blowout wins. In retrospect, perhaps she knew she'd be gone and didn't really care about developing the younger players?

(04-05-2012 11:20 AM)cmadler Wrote:  

(04-05-2012 11:10 AM)emu steve Wrote:  Sure the team loses James and Redditt. Otherwise, this team will be very strong next year.

Gilbert didn't play a deep bench but she still has 5 or 6 players with known abilities, (e.g., Watkins, Fouty, Thomas, Hairston, Bird, etc. plus a couple more who could bloom with more PT).

Recruiting for '12/'13 isn't critical. Gilbert gave few minutes to frosh last year.

I agree. In fact, several times this year I was surprised by how little Gilbert went to the bench, even in blowout wins. In retrospect, perhaps she knew she'd be gone and didn't really care about developing the younger players?

I was 'shocked' when EMU would be leading by 20 - 30 points in the last half of the 2nd half and none of the newbies were getting minutes.

E.g., Collins and Bogard but others too.

I don't remember Gilbert EVER emptying her bench and give say Hite 5 or 10 minutes.

Why????

I'll bet Super agrees with me, but the team SUFFERED when it had huge leads in the 2nd half and the starters got 'complacent' or whatever.

Better to bring on bench and let them work their tails off.

Dear cmadler and emu steve,
Do you think the players knew anything about this? I mean her resignation. If, they did, did it affect their play? Players may not leave a winning program, but what if they really liked the coach. They may wait to find who in the end is the new coach, but if they do not like the personality, or coaching methods, it could mean goodbye.
As far as not using the bench, maybe Coach Gilbert was one of those that liked to pour it on. I hate that in coaches, but there are many like that.

Late in this past season I was sitting for a few minutes next to a booster I know during the EMU v Kent State WBB game. This booster has been around EMU Athletics for decades and has donated a lot of money.

There were two distinct comments made by this person:

1) Gilbert was arguably the least respected coach in the MAC by the other coaches and refs;
a) Her attitude to other coaches and refs was apparently not friendly (MAC coaches meetings) and she came across as arrogant, as though she felt the other coaches were beneath her.
b) That the other head coaches did not appreciate how Gilbert would routinely keep her starters in late in games when EMU was up 20-30 points*; and

2) The NCAA issues were looking to be even bigger than what was publicly reported last fall and such did not reflect well on Gilbert.

* - Personally I felt not going to the bench is what hurt EMU in the NCAA tourney game v South Carolina. EMU could get away with it (barely) during the MAC tourney, but in the NCAA tourney, with the other team subbing and staying fresh, EMU was GASSED 10 minutes into the game.

Lastly, Gilbert's contract was expired right? If so, it is pretty telling for a coach who just won the MAC tourney and got EMU to the NCAA tourney to not have her contract significantly extended (at least 3-5 years versus Ramsey's 1 year rollovers). This lack of a contract extension ought to speak volumes.

I'm not close enough to the program to know what the relationship between Gilbert, her staff and the players was.

Maybe Super can shed some light.

'Boot,

I'm not surprised by what you posted.

The personas of Murphy and Gilbert are worlds apart.

Is there anyone who doesn't like Murphy?

(04-05-2012 12:06 PM)emu steve Wrote:  'Boot,

I'm not surprised by what you posted.

The personas of Murphy and Gilbert are worlds apart.

Is there anyone who doesn't like Murphy?

EMU Steve - If there is someone who does not like Murphy I have not met them or read any of their posts. I put Murphy in the same type of overall likeability as Ron English, Jay Alexander, Coach Linn (swimming), and Karen Baird (Softball).

Gilbert seemed to be of the same type of personality cloth as Ramsey. (Who personally alienated me and many others at EMU very early in his tenure at EMU.)

(04-05-2012 09:26 AM)Ken Barna Wrote:  Dear Friends,
Coach Gilbert of the women's basketball team has resigned. Effective April 6th.

I don't remember but at one time basketball coaches' contracts used to expire the end of March, I think.

I believe it is timed to the 'official' end of the season, i.e., after the Final Four is over.

I wouldn't be surprised if her contract was up and she was not renewed because of... (NCAA issues?).

If she needed to be sacrificed it would have happened weeks or months ago.

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120...ball-coach

Goricki explains and names possible successors.

Freep article.

Everyone is honing in on the problems from 2010 which has to be the key.

http://www.freep.com/article/20120405/SP...rt-resigns