Ralph has spent the last 13 seasons as an assistant coach with the Huskies. Commodores name former UConn assistant the sixth head coach in program history. Its part of who we are, and its exciting to have that at home every night, Ralph said. Shea Ralph: Head Coach: Tom Garrick: Associate Head Coach: Ashley Earley: Assistant Coach Recruiting Coordinator: Kevin DeMille . In 2005, Earley was an All-SEC first-team selection and candidate for the Naismith Trophy. Garrick, a former NBA player, will be his. Ralph was an instrumental figure in recruiting and player development with the Huskies. "I've learned how to take losing." Hes one of the brightest minds in the game, and hes passionate about it. She knows what winning looks like, and she has the background and experience, as both a player and a coach, to develop our student-athletes into champions.. [8] She cut down her eating so significantly she dropped from 145 pounds (66kg) to 108 (49kg), a very low weight for a six-foot-tall (1.83m) person. TheUtah Starzz selected Ralph in the third round with the 40th pick of the WBNA Draft in 2001,but she never played in a regular season game. Ralph will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Vanderbilt has hired Shea Ralph away from UConn to help revive the Commodores' struggling women's basketball program, which hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Garrick's wife and longtime UConn women's basketball assistant coach, Shea. While serving as a coach at her alma mater, Ralph helped guide the Huskies to 12 Final Four appearances and six national championships, including a record four consecutive titles from 2013-16. Ralph's mother, Marsha (Mann) Lake, was an All-American basketball player for the University of North Carolina. He was an assistant with the Vanderbilt womens basketball team from 2009-2015. Not able to exercise while rehabilitating, she worried about gaining weight and reverted to poor eating habits. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Ralph is an experienced coach with a demonstrated history of success in womens basketball. Ralph played a key role in recruiting and working with several players who would go on to become some of the best players in the WNBA. During the four years she played full or partial seasons, UConn had a record of 13010. Then, "an agonizing scream pierce[d] the air" which prompted commentator Robin Roberts to cry "Shea Ralph, oh goodness, oh no," recognizing that Ralph had yet again torn an ACL. Lets give a big Commodore Welcome to Shea Ralph-Garrick and family! Vanderbilt men's coach Jerry Stackhouse wrote on Twitter of the coach who grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The Commodores were 4-4 in 2020-21. Her drive as a student, as a player as a coach, her intensity level in how she played and coached and recruited, those are staples of who Shea is and I know that's what she will bring to Vanderbilt" he said. Vanderbilt has hired Shea Ralph away from UConn to help revive the Commodores' struggling women's basketball program, which hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Ralph will be charged with rebuilding the programs talent pool. She went on to have a great senior season in high school. The transition to a school without the winning tradition of UConn was difficult. Ralph, despite five ACL surgeries, filled in and helped lead by example. We're really focused right now on just immersing myself in the community, meeting the team. Were going to miss her tremendously she brought passion and energy to everything she did in Storrs. (Twitter/@VandyWBB), Betsy Goodfriend, Deputy Sports Editor April 13, 2021. Auriemma said it will take time for Ralph to turn around the program, but he believes she can do it without sacrificing the school's high academic standards. Ralph has been an assistant with the Huskies since 2008, and she helped lead UConn to 13 consecutive Final Fours and six NCAA championships. Ralph also won national awards, including Sports Illustrated Women Player of the Year,[22] the Honda Sports Award in basketball,[23][24] and a spot on the Kodak All-America team. Coach Ralph has earned the opportunity to take the reins of our womens basketball program and transform it into what we all know is possible, Lee said. After an excellent junior season, Ralph was less productive in the beginning of her senior season. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File) Buy this photo Published on Tuesday, 13 April 2021 16:45 Written by CARL ADAMEC On Sunday, the culprit was a rebounding deficit of 19 and taking just . A knee injury kept her from playing in the WNBA after she was drafted by the Utah Starzz in 2001. NASHVILLE, Tenn. One of womens college basketballs most respected and well-known coaches will usher in a new era of success for Vanderbilt as Shea Ralph, a seven-time national champion as a student-athlete and coach, has been named womens basketball head coach. After three seasons as the head coach of the UMass Lowell women's basketball team, Tom Garrick is leaving the program. [33] She finished her college career with 1,678 points. Vanderbilt womens basketball has found its next head coach: UConn assistant Shea Ralph. Season ticket deposits are now available for Ralphs inaugural season as head coach. But we're gonna do that sooner than later and I do have a shortlist.". 0:49 Vanderbilt women's basketball coach Shea Ralph said the decision to dismiss center Amauri Williams from the team was not a difficult one. The 2022-23 season marks her second leading the Commodores. The US team started strong with a 32-point win over the host team, the Republic of China National Team. As a national high school player of the year in Fayetteville, North Carolina, she gained immediate acclaim in a Connecticut program that was emerging as a perennial powerhouse. She also ranked among the programs top 10 career leaders in assists (456), steals (252) and field goal percentage (.579). Ralph called Geno Auriemma, the Connecticut coach, to ask what kind of role he envisioned for her at UConn. She shot over 40% from beyond the three-point arc for that season, and 51.7% during the Big East season, setting the all-time Big East record for three-point shooting in a season. You can reach them at rachael.m.perrotta@vanderbilt.edu and chloe.a.postlewaite@vanderbilt.edu. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Vanderbilt has hired Shea Ralph away from UConn to help revive the Commodores' struggling women's basketball program, which hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament since 2014. Athletic director Candice Lee announced the hiring Tuesday, a week after firing Stephanie White following five seasons. Uconn won the Big East Regular season championship and the post-season Big East tournament championship all four years. [16], In her freshman year (199697) the UConn team won every game of their regular season schedule (270) and went on to win the Big East tournament, completing an undefeated regular season with a 300 record. Vanderbilt has hired Shea Ralph away from UConn to help revive the Commodores' struggling women's basketball program. This content is only available to USA TODAY subscribers. She also ranks among the programs all-time top 10 in career assists (456), steals (252) and field goal percentage (57.9). #AnchorDown https://t.co/WyVwfH9iP2. Ralph, 43, played for Geno Auriemma at UConn from 1996-2001, earning All-America honors and helping the Huskies win the 2000 NCAA title. Harbison had nine points, and Demi Washington had eight points and six rebounds. Vanderbilt has hired Shea Ralph away from UConn to help revive the Commodores' struggling women's basketball program. Ralph wasted no time helping individual student-athletes realize their full potential. Coach Ralph has earned the opportunity to take the reins of our womens basketball program and transform it into what we all know is possible, Lee said. Although Ralph was selected by the Utah Starzz in the 2001 WNBA draft, continued knee injuries ended her on-court career. Auriemma read the quote in the paper and "almost [fell] off his chair." Roster. UConn women's basketball assistant coach and former player Shea Ralph is taking the next big step in her career, joining the Vanderbilt women's basketball program as their head coach after . She was unable to play for the rest of the tournament. I would like to congratulate Shea on being named the head coach at Vanderbilt University, Auriemma said. In her free time, she enjoys online shopping, creating to-do lists and watching football even if she has no interest in either team playing. The Commodores reached the third round of the Womens National Invitation Tournament, their longest postseason run since 2013. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. Her energy, optimism and bold ambitions perfectly align with our vision of an athletics program that emboldens our mission to compete and succeed at the highest levels.. Jordyn Cambridge, Iyana Moore and Sacha Washington earned All-SEC accolades during the 2021-22 campaign. Head coach Kevin Ollie was paid just under. Ralph, 43, played at UConn from 1996-97 to 2000-01, missing the 1997-98 season with a knee injury. Athletic Director Candice Lee confirmed the hire on Twitter Tuesday. At one point, she scored eight consecutive points for the Huskies to help them turn a deficit into a slim 3128 lead. Shea Sydney Ralph (born March 12, 1978) [1] is a former collegiate basketball player and current head coach for the Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team. She was drafted by the Utah Starzz in the third round of the 2001 WNBA Draft, but due to her knee injuries, she never played professionally. She spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Pittsburgh, which won at least 22 games in each of her last three seasons. Stats. So he had to up the stakes, and told her to gain weight or she was off the team. [4] The Terry Sanford High School graduate is best known for her basketball prowess, but she also lettered in soccer, cross-country, and track. Twenty-four hours a day he's going," Ralph said, jokingly. Although the dismissal left the Commodores with. The prospect of not playing basketball persuaded her to eat. We know you have many choices and appreciate you investing in us and the future of journalism. Credit: AP. Vanderbilt University Athletics - Official Athletics Website, student-athlete mental health and performance, prospective student-athlete questionnaire, NCAA Guide for the College-Bound Student-Athlete, Mr. C and Spirit Squad Appearance Requests. Shes been recruiting at that level for a long, long time now.. This content is only available to USA TODAY subscribers. Ralph was named the Big East Rookie of the Year. With her help, the Huskies made 12 Final Fours and won six national championships. Original reporting that provides diverse perspectives on news and issues of today. Vanderbilt is making a push in athletics with "Vandy United," a $300 million dollar investment that includes the construction of new basketball facilities.