Texas interviews Karen Aston

I think Aston has as much chance to be successful as anyone. She is a very good coach. But, she doesn’t have the WOW! factor. My only problem with the hire is that I felt like Texas could get a coach with a wow factor and just as great a chance for success. This only makes sense to me if she was somehow able to sell the search committee that she was a better choice, or if the top candidates were not interested.

Thinking back to her time at Texas I remember thinking that she was a big part of the last really successful run of WBB. I thought losing her would have an impact, and in retrospect I think it did. Of course, it is impossible to say how much of an impact. And that doesn’t mean that she is some sort of savior. But there are some signs that this could become a great hire, even if it seems underwhelming right now.

She certainly is not going to be overwhelmed by the pressure to win at Texas, or by the competition. She has plenty of experience with both.

I wish she had not left Texas the way that she did. Bridges may not all be completely burned down, but there are some that are looking pretty ragged. She’ll have to get to work on that right away.

This is not a hire that is going to put butts in seats just based on her name. She will have to win to bring back crowds. But, I think people who do go to games will see a well-coached and prepared team. Ultimately it will come down to her ability to get elite athletes to come to Texas to play for her, instead of for Jody Conradt. She has a reputation as a great recruiter. Now she has a chance to prove that she deserves the reputation.

I’m surprised by this decision because it is not the safe choice. Hire a big name, with a proven elite resume, and no one can ever really question the decision. But, if this doesn’t work it will be seen in retrospect as a huge failure by the administration. That doesn’t make it the wrong choice. It certainly does make it interesting.
 
AP article on statesman.com

Interesting that in the article on the same story written by an AP writer rather than a hack at the statesman, no mention is made of these other candidates. Perhaps because those people are not even being considered. The statesman needs to learn the difference between an opinion in a sports column and an article written that is suppose to be based on facts.
 
Apparently the Board of Regents are meeting on Monday regarding the open position, so I assume there won't be anything offical until then.
 
This from the Moooooo link:

She had great success at Charlotte and was in charge of a pretty remarkable one-year turnaround at UNT.

I did not follow UNT. How was her year there beyond the win/loss record? Were people that impressed? (when she took the job last year I remember thinking UT was the ultimate goal)
 
The funny thing is I don't think any of US would select anybody on this list besides Blair and Coale.

Gary Blair
Kamie Ethridge
Sherri Coale
Nell Fortner
Karen Aston

This should be interesting and start some good discussion amongst us fans. I still say Pokey Chatman!
 
Taking a UNT team that was 5-25 the year before (and that posted double digit wins only two of the four years before that, having a high-water mark in that period of 14-18 in 2007-2008) to go 15-16 is something that suggests an ability to extract talent from an inherited roster. Granted, the Sun Belt Conference isn't the Big 12-2 but if we can get someone in who can get the current squad to be more cohesive and to get the productivity that has been lacking, I will be more than happy to skip the WOW factor in a hire.

Let's face it...we tried to go for the WOW factor already and it unfortunately didn't work out in the results column.
 
I know some folks balked at the $1 million salary which was given to Coach G 5 years ago, but that really was what the market was demanding for that type of coaching resume.

Illinois hired the Wisconsin - Green Bay coach, and are paying him less than $300,000. You could say his resume is more impressive than that of Aston. If you know the salary your predecessor was making (regardless of your job), wouldn'y you want that salary, too? The job duties would be the same . . .
 
Karen received a 5 year contract with an annual base salary beginning at $150,000. Double her base salary and offer her comparable incentives that were listed on Goestenkors' contract.
 
Or Texas is no longer a destination or plum job considering the circumstances that has plunged Texas to the bottom 1/3 of the conference.

Well, nothing is official so really anything goes!

hookem.gif
 
I'm kinda warming to Aston. Didn't think much of her before, but when you look at the talent she brought in and was an assistant on some really good Texas teams, you have to think she had a part in that. She would have never been hired here as an asst, we let her know that, so she left to get that on her resume. She would come here in a heartbeat if it was $1 more than what she has at UNT, but we'll probably give her $500Gs with some incentives.

Etheridge would never be considered for the same reasons, no HC jobs of her own. The real big fish were either ignored, like a Geno or Kim, and the second line like the Coales, etc were probably contacted but had no interest.
Aston is a safe pick, because she knows Texas well, they don't have to pay her top dollar, and if it really doesn't work out, we can go after the new crop of top notch coaches in 4-5 years. But I do have confidence in Aston. Let's give her a chance, if she's the choice.
 
I didn't realize Aston had been an assistant starting in 1998; I knew she left for Baylor one year before Conradt retired, but didnt quite compute that it was 8 years.

Lots of talk about that #1 recruiting class Aston helped signed one year; in reality, it ended up being a big, fat fail, especially as she missed out on the Paris twins:

- Erika Arriaran
- Aubry Cook
- Carla Cortijo
- Mariana Mergerson
- Crystal Boyd
- Earnesia Williams
- am I forgetting one?

Not a single one ended up earning first team All Big 12 honors, if I'm not mistaken . . .

While getting Heather Schreiber, Kala Bowers, and Stacy Stephens was a great building block in helping turning things around in the early 2000's, the catalyst for the Final Four squad was transfer Jamie Carey, and that was plain luck based on her doctor being her in Austin and Texas giving her medical clearance to play, while Stanford would not.
 
Does Tiffany Jackson ring a bell? Duncanville, Tx. grad whom I believe was a Big XII first teamer and All American multiple years? For those who don't remember, or are not aware, Aston was Jody's associate head coach for many years. Aston was THE recruiter for Jody during Aston's tenure at Texas. She brought in quite a few good ones.

And Mooo FYI, it was Jody who botched the Paris twins' recruiting as she decided she would only offer Courtney and not Ashley. As for the 2005 class you cite as a bust, you're right it did not live up to expectations. However, 4 of those players, Cook, Mergerson, Williams, and Cortijo had knee injuries their senior years before they signed LOI's. I guess Jody could have cut them loose, but that wasn't her style. Those knee problems (and foot problems) were chronic with that class throughout their tenure at Texas.
 
txex86, that's pretty much the way I recall the recruiting for the Paris twins as well. And don't forget that Erika also suffered a knee injury at the start of her soph year and was never the same afterwards. We got good playing from Cook, Cortijo and Williams but they never reached the level expected due to their injuries.
 
Actually, and I don't know if this is accurate, but it was reported at the time that both sisters had been offered, and that Jody flew out to meet with the twins after Erika and all of the others had committed, but the twins hadn't made a a decision yet. And it was also reported that Ashley's first choice was UT (that would have been strange for someone who wasn't even offered), and that Courtney was leaning towards the Sooners. And obviously, they were going to go to the same place, and so Courtney carried the day. Of course there could be truth to both sides of this story, I have no clue, but that is what was reported at the time. Not that it matters now, but I certainly don't recall anyone saying, or even impying that JC botched the recruitment, or only offered one of the twins. At least there was nothing said on any message board or in the press, and clearly recruiting was a widely discussed topic at the time.
 
My recollection matches that of overseas. Jerry Scarbrough of True Orange told me that Ashley favored Texas, but Courtney favored OU, and that Courtney was most likely gonna get her way.

Yes, those injuries were devastating to the class. They happen, and it's unfortunate. But, we can continue to crown that class "#1 in the nation" based on their rankings in high school, but the end result of the contributions that class made was a huge turning point with the program . . .
 
I was wrong about Coach G, and I very well could be wrong about Aston, if she is the hire.

I give her accolades for some of the recruits she hauled in while an assistant coach at Texas. But, if we analyze each class of recruits (including the ones we signed and the ones we missed on), we might get a better picture of how the signees panned out. I'll take a look later, but after Brittainey Raven, not sure she hit on a lot of difference makers.

We hear all about her being a "tireless recruiter". She definitely was while at Texas, but she didn't have head coaching duties then; an she was around 10 years younger (which could mean more energy back then than now; I know it does for me).

While the Paris twins recruitment was a long time ago, I never heard about Ashley not being offered. All public reports had her with an official offer; plus, Aubry Cook got a last minute offer once the twins committed to OU, and Cook then decommited from UNLV and signed with Texas.
 
txex86 seems to be implying that Ashley wasn't offered but I think it's common knowledge, both inside and outside of the dept, that she was.
 
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