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Roberts had to go; Blue needs new direction

The biggest surprise about the departure of Trish Roberts as the Michigan women's basketball coach was that it didn't come sooner. After four unproductive years, the Trish Roberts Era officially came to an end May 23, when Athletic Director Joe Roberson announced a resignation which was termed a "mutual agreement." At the very least, Roberson sounded relieved to be moving on, saying that the interests of not only Roberts, but also the basketball program, "are best served by this course of action." In four seasons, Roberts guided the Wolverines to five victories and 63 losses in the Big Ten. The fact that the coach lasted four years mystified many.

It wasn't as if Roberts was a player favorite, or the University kept her around because she was well-liked. On the contrary, Roberts was at the center of controversy throughout her term.

In 1992, four players were actually part of a petition to have her fired. She was placed on probation in 1994 to monitor her treatment of players and her attitude toward academics. She, along with the University, has been sued by Tannisha Stevens, a former player who claims Roberts forced her to quit the team because of an eye injury incurred on a team bus ride. So it's not as if Roberts was popular while controversial; it's not even as if she was winning while controversial. In fact, Roberts was losing while controversial Ñ which did nothing to help the basketball program. What went wrong?
Why was the Trish Roberts Era such a miserable failure?
Here was a coach who compiled an 82-32 record in four seasons at Maine. She was an All-American while playing for Tennessee in 1977, and she was captain of the 1978 U.S. National Team. Clearly, Roberts knows basketball. So why didn't anything go right in Ann Arbor?

Some might say injuries were the main problem. Four key Michigan players suffered season-ending knee injuries while Roberts was in charge. But lawsuits, petitions and probationary measures suggest that the women's basketball program was on its own set of shaky knees. In fairness, the rash of injuries clearly hurt the Wolverines over the years. And there were probably players who enjoyed playing for Trish Roberts.

But for every player who found the problems great enough to speak out Ñ even sign a petition or file a lawsuit Ñ you can't help but wonder, how many players felt the same, but bit their lips and said nothing? I do not propose to have the explanations for the problems of the Trish Roberts Era, and maybe no one ever will. But I do know this: when players Ñ several players at a time Ñ look like they'd rather be home studying than out on the basketball court, something is not right.

Something is not right when players are arguing on the floor, when the coach is throwing up her hands in exasperation on the bench Ñ and the team isn't getting any better. Something is not right when the enthusiasm level is even lower than the team's last-place position in the conference. To be sure, a losing season takes its toll. Four straight losing seasons, like the ones the Wolverines have had, take a tremendous toll. You can't expect the players to be jumping for joy out on the court, especially when they're losing by twenty points Ñ game after game after game. But when it starts to look like the coach doesn't even want to be there Ñ that's when the program is in trouble. This is why the departure of Trish Roberts was overdue. Hopefully, the next coach can turn the Wolverines on to a key concept: enthusiasm not only makes basketball more fun, it is necessary to win. Obviously, it's easier to be enthusiastic when you're winning Ñ but it's nearly impossible to win if you're not enthusiastic.

I don't care how many games you lose in a row, or how many points you lose them by. When you're the coach of a team, the players pick up on how you act. And when you look like you'd rather be somewhere else, how can you possibly expect your players to act any different?

The next step.
The next coach for the Wolverines is critical. The right person could bring the women's basketball program into line with the rest of Michigan athletics. The wrong person could keep the Wolverines in their now-expected position in the Big Ten basement. There is no reason why Michigan cannot compete nationally in women's basketball. Other Big Ten teams Ñ Iowa, Purdue, Penn State Ñ are among the nation's elite every year. The success of the Wolverines' women's swimming, gymnastics and softball teams illustrates the potential Michigan holds for attracting premier female athletes. Bringing in the right coach will show a commitment to the women's basketball program.

Of course the coach has to be a recruiter. Of course the coach has to be someone who wants to win. Most importantly, though, the coach has to be someone who can relate to the players and earn their respect.