Head Coach – Women’s Basketball Grace Howrigon Career Development and Mentoring Dr. Loughran Information Suzy Merchant Head Women’s Basketball Coach Michigan State University – NCAA Division I Interview Conducted June 28th, 2016 Playing Experience: Four year started at CMU 1987 – 1991 Coaching Experience: Assistant Oakland 1992 – 1995 Head Coach SVSU 1995 – 1998 Head Coach Eastern 1998 – 2007 Head Coach MSU 07 – Present Materials for Interview Questions 1. What are a few things that you can pinpoint that helped propel you to the level you are now? Work ethic Extra mile 2. What opportunities have you found most beneficial in networking? Final four – • Work/life balance Going to practices 3. Most important to me right now – Coaching education; What would you recommend as some learning avenues where I could enhance my coaching style? Sport psychology Motivating young people 90% neck up – 10% coaching “Get abstract” app Questions Continued 4. Being a Big 10 school, how do you describe the recruiting process? (Siena – 10% of kids you recruit – recruit 100, get 10) “Feeding a monster” Just offered 8th grader Technology is a resource • Smart graphics • Vine • Twitter • Instagram • Appeal to age group 5. What are some of the most important qualities you look for when hiring new staff members? Work ethic Initiative – Don’t have to be told Character Passion Questions Continued 6. Women’s jobs – Concerning? Pat Summitt – Spokesperson • Since then, where is our voice? • Past 5 years – Who could be and isn’t? Geno Auriemma – UCONN Dawn Staley – South Carolina Muffet McGraw – Notre Dame Enlightened by me Hope for women 7. If any, do you have any regrets in your coaching career? And/or what have you seen as some common mistakes young coaches have made? Different world back then – Technology Tons of regrets “We are human and we make mistakes, just don’t make life changing mistakes” More Realistic – Church Luck and work ethic Resource Face to face connection Getting the job – Up to me Reaction to Interview Inspired/Motivated Human Doable; small college to big college Network network network Be a pioneer for women in industry Pat Summitt Continue to learn Books Practices Work ethic Recruiting Building relationships – MGBR, Siena, etc. Staying motivated to exceed expectations Concepts Undecided Individual (Reardon, Lentz, Peterson, & Sampson, p 57) • Passions and dislikes • Know the direction I am headed
• Goals for Further Career Development: (Reardon, Lentz, Peterson,
& Sampson, p 64) • Self Knowledge – Improve and strengthen skills • Inventory values, interests and skills Resources Reardon, R., Lentz, J., Peterson, G., & Sampson, J. (2012). Career Development & Planning. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Publishing Company.