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New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:31 pm
by CA Mustang

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:33 pm
by Terry Webster
Sounds like a really good choice.

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 3:52 pm
by DanFreibergerForHeisman
Sounds impressive! What a refreshing change for the women's program.

Hopefully we are already getting the ball rolling to be able to keep her.

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 4:35 pm
by PonyPride
Statement from SMUMustangs.com:

Wilson Named Head Women’s Basketball Coach At SMU

DALLAS (SMU) - Toyelle Wilson has been named the new Head Women's Basketball Coach, Director of Athletics Rick Hart announced today.

"Toyelle emerged from a really talented group of candidates," said Hart. "Her commitment to the academic, athletic and social development of our student-athletes aligns with our vision of shaping champions. She is a respected leader, and her positive energy, strong work ethic and ability to connect with and inspire others are qualities we look for in a head coach. We are happy that Toyelle has accepted our offer to serve as the head women's basketball coach at SMU and look forward to working with her and her staff in building a championship program."

Wilson arrives on the Hilltop after two seasons with the Michigan women's basketball program, where she served as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. She arrived in Ann Arbor in 2019 after spending six years as an assistant coach at Baylor and three seasons as the head coach at Prairie View A&M.

"I would like to thank President Turner, Rick Hart, Susan Vollmerhausen, the administration and the entire athletic department for the incredible opportunity to lead this program," said Wilson. "SMU is a special place, with great people, prestigious academics, history, and an athletic tradition of success. I can't wait to lead our women's basketball program back to that championship level.

"I couldn't be more excited to meet the team, get to work and bring the passion, energy, and joy back to the program. We are going to recruit winners and competitors on the court, committed student-athletes in the classroom, and have tremendous work ethic that will make our University, the local community, and the alumni proud. Pony Up!"

Wilson becomes the first Black female head coach at SMU.

At UM, Wilson coached five Big Ten All-Conference Team selections, among them the 2020-21 Big Ten Player of the Year, the school's first AP All-American and Wade Trophy finalist, Naz Hillmon. On the recruiting trail, Michigan's 2020 recruiting class was ranked as high as No. 12 and its 2021 class rated 18th.

Michigan finished the 2020-21 season 16-6, earning its highest-ever NCAA Tournament seed (No. 6), and reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history. The Wolverines defeated 11th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast and No. 3 seed Tennessee in the tournament before falling in overtime to Baylor. During her first year at Michigan, the Wolverines compiled a 21-11 record and were poised to make the 2020 NCAA Tournament before the season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over her six seasons at Baylor, the Lady Bears won the 2019 National Championship and claimed six regular-season Big 12 Conference championships and five conference tournament titles. Baylor also made four NCAA Elite Eight appearances and one NCAA Sweet 16 during her time in Waco. In total, she assisted the program to a 204-18 overall record and a 102-6 mark in Big 12 play. She recruited and coached 40 All-Conference selections, as well as three Big 12 Players of the Year, three Defensive Players of the Year, two Freshman/Newcomers of the Year and 10 WNBA draft picks. On the recruiting trail, she helped Baylor recruit top-10 recruiting classes every year, including the No. 1 recruiting class in the country in her final season in Waco.

Prior to joining the Baylor staff, she led Prairie View A&M to three-straight SWAC Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. She compiled a 55-43 record in her three seasons as the program's head coach, recruiting and coaching eight SWAC All-Conference Team selections, a Player of the Year, a Freshman of the Year and a Newcomer of the Year. Prior to accepting the head coach position, Wilson was the Panthers' top assistant for four years, and spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Robert Morris University.

Wilson was one of 30 coaches across the nation who participated in the Center for Coaching Excellence (CCE) by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). The CCE is an elite program for select basketball coaches and is designed to provide college women's basketball coaches with the professional skills and personal ethics training necessary to be exceptional leaders. Wilson is also a member of the WBCA.

A native of Voorhees, New Jersey, Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in business management from Manhattan College in 2003 and was a four-year letterwinner for the women's basketball team. She was a team captain and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors while leading the Jaspers to an NCAA Tournament berth and a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship in 2003.

Wilson is the mother of one son, Kash.

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 5:17 pm
by Arkpony
She looks like a good hire. Let’s hope so!

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 5:20 pm
by lwjr
She was learned from some of the best coaches Got to like that


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Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Thu Apr 01, 2021 8:22 pm
by mustangxc
Sounds like a solid hire. I hope it works out!

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Fri Apr 02, 2021 7:44 am
by Charleston Pony
Seems like forever since Rhonda was here. Remembering this article when she decided to leave:

STORRS, Conn. (AP) SMU women's basketball coach Rhonda Rompola has said her decision to retire at age 55 is driven by a desire to spend more time with her husband.

But she acknowledges there is more to it than that.

Speaking with The Associated Press before Wednesday's 88-41 loss to top-ranked UConn, Rompola said the changing attitudes of student-athletes was another factor in her announcement this week that she will leave the school after 35 years there as a player and coach.

''Kids are not as coachable as they were years ago,'' she said. ''I see kids sometimes talking back to their coaches and it's like a way of life. I'm just being honest. The rules and everything they get, they haven't taken time to appreciate. I was happy to have a scholarship. Kids nowadays are more concerned about when their next cost-of-attendance check is. It's just a different world.''

She made it clear she's not talking specifically about her players, but players in general.

Rompola has led the Mustangs (12-15, 7-9 American Athletic) to a 438-315 record, nine 20-win seasons and seven NCAA Tournament berths during her 25 years as head coach. She said she loves the school and her players.

But rules changes, she said, have made the recruiting process more stressful, cut into her free time and given teenagers a sense of entitlement, she said.

She said she does not like the unlimited texting between coaches and high school juniors. And she especially doesn't like that schools are now giving kids ''cost-of-attendance'' scholarships, which go beyond just tuition, room and board. She said that has led to players shopping for the best payout.


''Kids are making decisions these days to go to a college based on what their cost-of-attendance check is, based on the meals they get, not based on academics, not based on what a great school it is,'' she said. ''I just think the direction it's going is they are making (decisions) for the wrong reasons.''

Rompola said she doesn't plan on getting another full-time job once she leaves coaching. She may stay involved in the game by doing some skills instruction for younger kids, she said.

But mostly she wants to golf, spend time at her lake house with her husband, former college coach Mike Dement and leave coaching behind.

''Maybe I'm old school,'' she said. ''It's not necessarily what I signed up for and I'm not going to adjust my coaching to the way kids are these days. That's how it is these days, coaches having to adjust to kids, rather than kids having to adjust to coaches.''

Re: New coach!

PostPosted: Sat Apr 03, 2021 1:59 pm
by ponyboy
She looks like a solid hire. I really like that she got to spend time under Mulkey.