The search for Brandon Schneider’s replacement as Emporia State’s women’s basketball head coach could be a simple and quick process.
ESU athletic director Kent Weiser said on Tuesday that he and president Michael Lane have already met with assistant coach Jory Collins. Lane is out of town this week, and when he returns, the three will meet again early next week, and Weiser and Lane will then decide whether to give the job to Collins.
If they decide not to give the job to Collins, then and only then will they look outside of the program.
“We are going to take this week to make sure we can come to terms and all of our expectations are the same,” Weiser said.
Since learning of the news that Schneider was leaving, Collins has prepared himself to take over the program. On Monday, he had already made an outline to present to Lane and Weiser on why he would be the best fit for the job.
Collins has been an assistant at ESU in some capacity for nine of the last 10 years, and he has been Schneider’s top assistant for the last three seasons. He has helped recruit every player on the roster except Brittney Miller and Alli Volkens. In his nine seasons in the program, the Lady Hornets have won four MIAA regular season titles, one MIAA tournament, played in eight of nine NCAA tournaments, made two Elite Eights and won a National title.
“I think I can bring continuity with my familiarity with the program,” Collins said. “... I’m just going to let them know how invested I am in the program and how loyal I am to Emporia State and these players and our fans.”
Both Schneider and the current ESU players have expressed their support for Collins’ promotion. Weiser and Lane met with the players on Monday, and it was an open forum for them to express their opinions. Essentially, the meeting turned into the players making their pitch for why they believe Collins should take over.
“I think we all feel pretty strongly about Jory being the coach,” junior Alli Volkens said. “We all have pretty strong relations with him, and we all just feel strongly about him and think he deserves it. He knows us all pretty well, and we just want a National championship, and he had a large part in that. I think him coming back and doing the same things we’ve been doing this year when we were so successful is key.”
Schneider has told Collins that he can follow him to Stephen F. Austin, but Schneider said that he believes in his heart Collins should be named his successor.
“I think he’s got a great basketball IQ,” Schneider said. “He’s a very good teacher on the floor. He’s got tremendous work ethic, and he’s really built some strong recruiting ties throughout the Midwest, both through the high schools and the junior colleges.”
Weiser and Lane have only made one coaching hire together since Lane arrived in 2006. Football coach Garin Higgins was hired shortly after Lane arrived on campus. Lane had input on the Higgins hire; however, this is really his first chance to take part in the entire process.
Weiser has hired every ESU head coach other than track and field coach Dave Harris. Higgins and baseball coach Bob Fornelli are the only hires he’s made that have had head coaching experience — although softball coach Kristi Bredbenner was interim head coach at Truman State before she came to ESU.
Volleyball coach Bing Xu has been the only coach under Weiser who was promoted within the program from his assistant job. Schneider was also an assistant who got promoted. He had been Cindy Stein’s assistant for three years before she left for Missouri in 1998.
“We’ve seen successful transitions before, in this sport or other sports,” Weiser said. “Brandon did such an outstanding job. ... Does that have an effect on what we’re doing? Again, I think each situation and person is different. We handle each case on its on merits.”
Weiser said he has been contacted by several coaches interested in the job and has a list in his head of coaches he will contact if Collins is not hired.
Whether it’s Collins or someone else, there will be pressure to maintain what Schneider helped build.
“Certainly the level of our program is extremely high,” Weiser said. “It was high before we won the National championship some 30 days ago. We want someone that understands our level of basketball, what we expect. Someone who understands our recruiting philosophy. Somebody that’s been around our program has some additional insight to the questions that we would have.”
Collins believes he can continue the tradition, and he will have a talented team next year to start with. The Lady Hornets return seven players off the National title team, including Volkens, the Elite Eight Most Outstanding Player. They also have three incoming freshmen who were all recruited by Collins, and the Lady Hornets still have one scholarship left, which Collins is trying to fill.
“I would be really excited about next year’s team,” he said. “Our whole front line will be back. We did lose four guards that played a lot, but the freshmen this year are going to be much improved next year and be much bigger contributors. The three freshmen we have coming in are very talented, and then hopefully with this last scholarship, we can get another player that will be a big contributor as well.”
So far Collins has said all the right things and put himself in position to replace Schneider. Weiser said he is willing to take as long as necessary, but if the meeting with Collins goes smoothly early next week, all signs point to Collins as the next head coach of the Lady Hornets.
“I think he’s certainly played a big role in the level of excellence our program has achieved,” Weiser said. “The current players are very comfortable with him and have expressed their support how he has done things and conducted himself. There would be a lower level of anxiety with the recruits, those that we have already signed and those that have strongly considered coming to ESU. Those are very positive things he could bring.”
Volkens undergoes knee surgery
Alli Volkens discovered after the season that she had torn her meniscus in her right knee, the same injury she had in her left knee last fall.
Volkens had arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday, and the procedure went smoothly. She had the same surgery on the other knee on October 30, and she only missed one regular season game.
For the complete story see the Gazette print edition or the online print edition at http://www.emporiagazette.com/pdf. To subscribe to the print edition or the online print edition go to http://www.emporiagazette.com/subscribe.
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
Need to go with someone with more experience !
April 21, 2010 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
esuhornet (anonymous) says...
I think Jory would be the perfect hire for the lady hornets. He has been a part of this program for ten years, and learned from a great teacher in brandon. In fact, Brandon had less coaching experience than Jory has when he accepted the position and look how that turned out. Good luck Jory!
April 22, 2010 at 8:26 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
basketballjunkie (anonymous) says...
I have known Jory for quite a number of years and am totally impressed by his professionalism and ability to relate to his players. His knowledge of basketball has soared under Brandon and with that knowledge comes a work ethic second to none. ESU would be privileged to have Jory as it's head coach. Good luck, Jory!
April 22, 2010 at 2:43 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
rocknroll (anonymous) says...
Best of luck to Coach Collins in his desire to continue the Lady Hornets success. The jury is still out on the Coach Higgins hire.
April 23, 2010 at 8:07 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
Sometimes you need to look outside of the Box, and stop doing things the easy way. Jory is no coach Brandon !
April 23, 2010 at 9:15 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
yev_kassem (anonymous) says...
Good luck Collins. I hope ESU makes the right decison. It seems like a no brainer considering he has recruited a major part of the talent we have.
April 23, 2010 at 12:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Someone needs to tell the MIAA that there is a coaching change at ESU. Their site has nothing on it
April 23, 2010 at 1:28 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
sloan (anonymous) says...
Go, Jory! He'd be a great hire.
April 23, 2010 at 2:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
booker5m (anonymous) says...
Give the dude a chance. Never liked going outside for a hire.
April 23, 2010 at 8:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Baseball, softball, T&F, FB, MBB all went "outside" for a hire. They are all bad?
Edward McKernan
April 23, 2010 at 10:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
Sometimes the easy way is not the best way ! Get out and do some Work. !
April 23, 2010 at 10:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
I hope they give Jory a chance, Schneider said himself he was the best choice. Smoother transition, the guy has been there for 8 years and has ties to almost every player.
Would be a pretty dumb move to change a winning program, if the program was in dire shape things would be different. Brandon was an assistant when he took over, worked out pretty well.
April 23, 2010 at 11:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
basketballjunkie (anonymous) says...
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This is a totally solid program on the biggest high possible. A large part of that is because of Jory's assistance to Brandon and stellar recruiting. He has already proven his work ethic and dedication to the program. The recruiting relationships he has formed will only be another plus. Give him a chance. He's worked hard for it.
April 24, 2010 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )