2008 Woodie Awards
Complete overhaul: Coaching hire proves wise choice
Curtis Thom
Issue date: 1/24/08 Section: Sports
We often hear the term "rebuilding" in the world of sports. Sometimes these rebuildings are profitable, and other times they're just plain dreadful.
For this year's Lady Gorilla basketball team, an 8-7 start might seem like a disappointment, but my, oh my - how far they've come.
Last season finished on an odd note, as 18-year women's coach Steve High stepped down, leaving the Gorillas searching for a new coach.
That coach turned out to be Lane Lord.
Lord, who had won more than 85 percent of his games at Barton County Community College and Wichita Heights High School in the last six years, quickly discovered his first problem: He had only five players waiting for him.
Ask any coach in the collegiate ranks about the hardest portion of their job, and they'll most will likely say recruiting. In a given year, a college coach sets out to sign a handful of solid talent, usually three or four players.
Lord signed 14.
In the four months leading up to the season, Lord assembled a 19-player team, the biggest to date for the program.
Not only did he sign players, but he also signed talent. Of the top six scorers on the team, Lord recruited five.
When the season began, Lord lost one of his most promising recruits, freshman center Larissa Richards.
The injury left the Gorillas searching for a replacement, so what does Lord do?
He borrows a 6-foot-4 volleyball player.
The greatest skill a coach has is the ability to roll with the punches, which Lord does well. The second is being able to communicate with players, in which Lord also excels.
Despite filling an entire roster, the team has averaged 70.6 points per game, while spending mere months together before its first game.
While many would point to the 8-8 start for the Gorillas as underachieving, I point to it as the first chapter in Lord's coaching career at Pitt State.
Last season, the Gorillas won 11 games under High. Under Lord, they won eight, in half the time.
With only three seniors on a talented lineup and a solid group now in place, it seems the future of the program is in good hands.
For this year's Lady Gorilla basketball team, an 8-7 start might seem like a disappointment, but my, oh my - how far they've come.
Last season finished on an odd note, as 18-year women's coach Steve High stepped down, leaving the Gorillas searching for a new coach.
That coach turned out to be Lane Lord.
Lord, who had won more than 85 percent of his games at Barton County Community College and Wichita Heights High School in the last six years, quickly discovered his first problem: He had only five players waiting for him.
Ask any coach in the collegiate ranks about the hardest portion of their job, and they'll most will likely say recruiting. In a given year, a college coach sets out to sign a handful of solid talent, usually three or four players.
Lord signed 14.
In the four months leading up to the season, Lord assembled a 19-player team, the biggest to date for the program.
Not only did he sign players, but he also signed talent. Of the top six scorers on the team, Lord recruited five.
When the season began, Lord lost one of his most promising recruits, freshman center Larissa Richards.
The injury left the Gorillas searching for a replacement, so what does Lord do?
He borrows a 6-foot-4 volleyball player.
The greatest skill a coach has is the ability to roll with the punches, which Lord does well. The second is being able to communicate with players, in which Lord also excels.
Despite filling an entire roster, the team has averaged 70.6 points per game, while spending mere months together before its first game.
While many would point to the 8-8 start for the Gorillas as underachieving, I point to it as the first chapter in Lord's coaching career at Pitt State.
Last season, the Gorillas won 11 games under High. Under Lord, they won eight, in half the time.
With only three seniors on a talented lineup and a solid group now in place, it seems the future of the program is in good hands.
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