10-31-2015, 10:29 AM
The obvious underhanded recruiting tricks that are probably used against us are implying that Tara is about to retire. She was given an new two year contract last summer, no? Why didn't we give her a much longer contract? She seems like the kind of person who will coach for as long as she is physically able--she enjoys her job that much. My guess is that this rumor dissipates the minute the family actually talks to Tara.
One knock that I am sure used to be used against us--with some kids with homophobic parents--was the notion that their children would be going to a liberal den of inequity, with innuendo about sexual orientation. If you paid attention to what Griner said about Kim Mulkey, or Rene Portland's ban on lesbian basketball players, or the lawsuit just last year at Pepperdine (where Erika Ogwumike is playing now), you know that some programs have harbored and some may still harbor homophobic biases.Â
http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/92890...-sexuality
http://www.outsports.com/2014/12/15/7398...e-portland
One particularly murky episode centers on an underhanded tactic that Geno is alleged to have used to entice a recruit away from Tennessee--rupturing the relationship with Pat and ending their annual games.
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basket...iemma-book
Pat never spoke for the public record about what the specific "recruiting tactic" was that upset her. Others have suggested that--without hard evidence--that she suspected Geno of homophobic innuendo about her program. (The public version that emerged was that UConn gave Maya Moore a tour of the ESPN headquarters. That did undoubtedly happen--and is pretty sickening too--showing the UConn ESPN connection in all its glory. But was that really enough to rupture the relationship?)
Even if there are no personal attacks on our coaching staff, the University is very public with its support for openness and diversity, and I can see how this used to drive away the parents of some Christian social conservatives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SArCrXjVOr0
For example, polling data suggests that African American Christians oppose gay marriage at a much higher rate than white Americans do now:
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/07/29/graph...-marriage/
Fortunately, I think the pockets of bigotry have been shrinking and I imagine that this is less of a problem more recently than it may have been in the past. Most young people are far more open minded on gay rights than their parents--there is a gigantic generation gap on this issue. Furthermore, we have obviously succeeded in recruiting some players from Christian and conservative families in recent years. Condi Rice is no doubt helpful in that regard. But without knowing (and perhaps never knowing) the truth of the rumors about Geno and Mulkey and other prominent coaches, there will always be a doubt in my mind about the kind of conversations they have privately with the parents of socially conservative recruits.
One knock that I am sure used to be used against us--with some kids with homophobic parents--was the notion that their children would be going to a liberal den of inequity, with innuendo about sexual orientation. If you paid attention to what Griner said about Kim Mulkey, or Rene Portland's ban on lesbian basketball players, or the lawsuit just last year at Pepperdine (where Erika Ogwumike is playing now), you know that some programs have harbored and some may still harbor homophobic biases.Â
http://espn.go.com/wnba/story/_/id/92890...-sexuality
http://www.outsports.com/2014/12/15/7398...e-portland
One particularly murky episode centers on an underhanded tactic that Geno is alleged to have used to entice a recruit away from Tennessee--rupturing the relationship with Pat and ending their annual games.
http://espn.go.com/womens-college-basket...iemma-book
Pat never spoke for the public record about what the specific "recruiting tactic" was that upset her. Others have suggested that--without hard evidence--that she suspected Geno of homophobic innuendo about her program. (The public version that emerged was that UConn gave Maya Moore a tour of the ESPN headquarters. That did undoubtedly happen--and is pretty sickening too--showing the UConn ESPN connection in all its glory. But was that really enough to rupture the relationship?)
Even if there are no personal attacks on our coaching staff, the University is very public with its support for openness and diversity, and I can see how this used to drive away the parents of some Christian social conservatives.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SArCrXjVOr0
For example, polling data suggests that African American Christians oppose gay marriage at a much higher rate than white Americans do now:
http://www.pewforum.org/2015/07/29/graph...-marriage/
Fortunately, I think the pockets of bigotry have been shrinking and I imagine that this is less of a problem more recently than it may have been in the past. Most young people are far more open minded on gay rights than their parents--there is a gigantic generation gap on this issue. Furthermore, we have obviously succeeded in recruiting some players from Christian and conservative families in recent years. Condi Rice is no doubt helpful in that regard. But without knowing (and perhaps never knowing) the truth of the rumors about Geno and Mulkey and other prominent coaches, there will always be a doubt in my mind about the kind of conversations they have privately with the parents of socially conservative recruits.