Dis-Grentzled coach hates defeat

By Dena Beth Krischer

Daily Sports Writer

Illinois coach Theresa Grentz doesn't lose.

In her 26 years as a head coach, she has made a name for herself nationally in women's basketball.

She co-founded the Women's Basketball Coaches Association.

As a coach, she holds three gold medals, one silver and one bronze medal in selected U.S. tournaments.

She's captured nine different coach-of-the-year awards.

At Immaculata College, her alma mater, Grentz was a three-time All-American with an equal number of AIAW national championships.

She just doesn't lose.

Well, to be more accurate, she just hates to lose, which goes for most people with a competitive bone in their body. Nobody likes to lose.

Only to her, it's personal, as though somebody has taken her throne right out from under her while she's still sitting on it.

It hurts, and after Michigan upset Illinois for the second time this season, Grentz has got the bruise to prove it.

When Michigan stole the lead with a 10-point explosion at the start of the second half to put the Wolverines up by four, Grentz abruptly called a time out.

Michigan fans went wild, masking the outraged, husky "Come AWN!" by Grentz. What had been a four-point lead in Illinois' favor going into the half had turned into a nightmare.

Illinois had been in control of the situation - it had been winning.

Grentz had been winning.

Illinois is her team. Those 13 women who don orange and blue are her children. She adopted them for four, sometimes five years out of their lives to help point them in the right direction, be it basketball or life in itself.

She's the closest thing to a mother that her players have got. When she fails to provide on the court, she fails as a parent, as a guardian - as somebody who thrives for the success of those she raises.

And during a meager post game press conference, she made that very apparent.

Grentz stayed relatively calm during her terse, flat opening statement.

"We ran into a dry spell in the second half and just couldn't get the offense going."

With that, she raised her head high and her eyes searched the room for the first question.

One man, not realizing the consequences of his inquiry, went forth with a question that he hoped would not offend the losing party.

"What are you guys, in journalism up here?" Grentz snapped. "I get that question every time, that's the same question."

She rolled her eyes a little, "I think that we came out of what we needed to do because we were right there, everything was fine."

A slight glare, "It just did not happen."

After a few questions for Grentz's star forward Tauja Catchings and a few more brief statements from Grentz, the next victim proceeded with caution - Obviously not enough.

"What does the team emphasize in practice or what does the team..."

"The most important thing that this team needs is to play well as a team," Grentz bluntly interrupted.

"They have to play well as a team. If you look at your system, you'll find that."

That was her final answer.

Losing to the No. 1 team in the conference Penn State? Okay, that's Illinois' freebie.

A loss to defending national champs Purdue? Not a freebie, but cause for concern.

But two consecutive upsets by underdog Michigan?

Inexcusable.

Maybe for the first time in her career, Grentz knows how it feels to really lose.

Michigan didn't just steal the game, her throne and her pride right out from under Grentz.

Michigan coach Sue Guevara and her Wolverines now reside in the one place Grentz had at least a little comfort going into last night's game - second place in the Big Ten.

Grentz? Out of the polls and fighting for the race.

It's not personal, Ms. Grentz.

It's business.