The Guru Report: Third Rutgers Era Coming Next Season

By Mel Greenberg @womhoopsguru

First, obviously your Guru has a million C Viv and me tales in the wake of the longtime Cheyney/Iowa/Rutgers C. Vivian Stringer retirement announcement Saturday morning but since the formal move will come at the end of the summer those will be put on hold in the interim other than involving other projects that were in place or under consideration.

Secondly, just want to squeeze in that Guru attended the last USciences Hall of Fame dinner Friday night as the D2 Devils athletics program along with the whole school moves to merger at the end of the semester with D-1 Saint Joseph’s University. 

Former coach Nate Ware, current coach Jackie Hartzell and longtime sports information director Bob Heller, now at Chestnut Hill, were among the 30-plus inductees across all sports and due to the size of the class, other than Hartzell, who goes out on top with one final CACC title, speeches were banned, which still didn't deprive of a nice event that was done in streamline fashion.

And the Devils’ alum contingent will live on in one or two teams in the upcoming Philly Summer League (registration info several posts below).

So following the original Theresa Grentz era (the former Immaculata and coaching great recently announced as a Naismith Hall of Famer will be a speaker at the Philly Sports dinner at the Doubletree formerly Crown Plaza on Route 70 over in Cherry Hill, N.J. Monday nite btw public sale still on, tickets available at the door or online depending when reading this), and the concluding Stringer era, what lies ahead for the Scarlet Knights into what will be the name on the next era and will it be a spinoff or brand new direction?

The first call more as a courtesy than anticipation because the interest is not considered existing is to UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey, a member of the 1982 AIAW National Champion contingent under Grentz.

The name in recent years that many in Scarlet Knights nation thought could be lured back East is Michigan’s Kim Barnes Arico, who previously was at St. John’s.

Given the Wolverine success, the two questions are, would she have interest and is Rutgers prepared to pay the price that would likely be involved and before you point to the Stringer salaries you also likely have a buyout of sum on top of that to deal.

But as Villanova athletic director Mark Jackson said as he and your Guru (well ahead of the Jay Wright shocker) shot the breeze in a Michigan hotel bar when the women were coincidentally in Ann Arbor for the NCAA tourney, on several topics and over the search to replace legend Harry Perretta even though a runaway favorite existed, “You explore and do diligence.”

So yes you don’t know it’s negative on the comeback from Arico until it actually is.

Next stop on this tour is back in-house.

Two key pieces off the best of the Stringer/Rutgers era with an Iowa waggle for one are Jolette Law, who was a player on the Hawkeyes and aide on The Banks, and Chelsea Newton, who starred at Rutgers and was on Stringer’s staff a long time before joining Joni Taylor at Georgia and now doing likewise at Texas A&M.

Law had a brief turn as head coach that didn’t go well at Illinois and while that could be a problem, you are directed for Exhibit A on second chances to look to the alum at Syracuse coming out of success at Buffalo when it previously didn't go well at Indiana following turning around Hofstra.

Currently, she’s on Dawn Staley’s staff at two-time NCAA champion South Carolina.

While recently laughing off the idea of filling a Rutgers vacancy in chitter chatter during the NCAA tourney, considering no one believed it was imminent, Newton is still worth an interview.

And Carlene Mitchell, who moved up to recruiting coordinator when Law left and rankings were still the norm, recently had the interim label removed after stepping in out west at CSUN.

In considering today’s world, one very highly respected agent said to your Guru on Saturday, this whole new (naming) thing is evolving and the candidate in today’s world that can show they have ability to figure it out will have something very valuable.

Another person familiar with the women’s scene noted, “lt’s going to be more about the Rutgers job. Show you can be a fundraiser, excite and tap the fan and donor base to make the program Big Ten competitive without touching the football money there.’’

Which brings us to the Grentz spinoff in one Mary Klinger, nee, part of the fabled Coyle twins, the other being Pat, who coached in the WNBA. It will sound off the wall to the unknowledgeable but she’s the longtime coach of mighty Rutgers Prep, connected everywhere in America.

The fact that the news just broke Saturday morning, many have yet to learn Rutgers opened and agents are saying interest will become more knowledgeable in the next several days.

While it’s unlikely a male will be hired, two East Coast success stories Big Ten ready are Seton Hall’s Tony Bozzella and Penn’s Mike McLaughlin. Forget bringing Joe McKeown home from Northwestern, he’s with a new deal currently in hand.

It might be difficult to grab Princeton’s Carla Berube, but if money can trump alumni consideration and if wanting a new direction, then Columbia’s Megan Griffith showed how to build. 

And when it comes to Jersey roots with a little more seasoning, all Delran native Trish Sacca-Fabbri does at Quinnipiac is win and was a finalist in the last Penn State opening.

Well, that’s it for the moment. Stay tuned.