Grading Kate Paye's Performance

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RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - BostonCard - 02-13-2026

(02-12-2026, 10:44 PM)SkiBum80 Wrote: Coach Payes season is reminding me of Coach Haase.
…
Hoping Coach P can turn it around. But not seeing it happen yet.

A quick reminder that Stanford retained Haase for 8(!) seasons, despite the fact that he never had better than a .500 conference record, had a grand total of a single NIT appearance, and wound up with a losing record (126-127). Stanford is not firing Paye after two seasons, so, like you, I hope she can turn it around.

BC

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - Treebound - 02-13-2026

(02-13-2026, 11:00 AM)BostonCard Wrote:
(02-12-2026, 10:44 PM)SkiBum80 Wrote: Coach Payes season is reminding me of Coach Haase.
…
Hoping Coach P can turn it around. But not seeing it happen yet.

A quick reminder that Stanford retained Haase for 8(!) seasons, despite the fact that he never had better than a .500 conference record, had a grand total of a single NIT appearance, and wound up with a losing record (126-127). Stanford is not firing Paye after two seasons, so, like you, I hope she can turn it around.

BC

The Haase/Muir debacle was the reason I finally gave up my season tickets. Thank goodness there has been a sea change in leadership with Levin, Andrew and Donahoe. KP may be okay for now, but that seat is getting hotter and I don't see a level of complacency coming from our new leadership....thankfully! Candid conversations were the norm with Bob Bowlsby and I believe he fired "No-Fault/Quick kick" after year 2 and brought in EUTM that changed our football program for the better.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - BostonCard - 02-13-2026

Maybe, but Troy Taylor would have come back for a third year even under the Andrew Luck despite a 6-18 record but for a scandal. In fact, when the scandal was first reported, Luck was inclined to keep Taylor, and it was only subsequent reporting and further bad publicity that did him in.

I don’t think Paye would be allowed to flounder for 8 years like Haase was, but Stanford is pretty conservative about firing coaches, and I think that’s not a bad thing. Just because you fire a coach doesn’t mean that what comes next will be better, and for every Harbaugh who comes around, there’s a Walt Harris and Troy Taylor (I know Shaw wasn’t fired, but many people wanted him to be), or a Dawkins (also, his predecessor wasn’t fired but wasn’t exactly given a vote of confidence) or Haase. Everybody wants a Curt Cignetti at Indiana, but more often you get someone like Matt Ruhle at Nebraska (and that’s someone with a NFL experience and a great track record at Baylor).

BC

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - TheFarm07 - 02-14-2026

(02-13-2026, 06:44 PM)BostonCard Wrote: Maybe, but Troy Taylor would have come back for a third year even under the Andrew Luck despite a 6-18 record but for a scandal. In fact, when the scandal was first reported, Luck was inclined to keep Taylor, and it was only subsequent reporting and further bad publicity that did him in.

I don’t think Paye would be allowed to flounder for 8 years like Haase was, but Stanford is pretty conservative about firing coaches, and I think that’s not a bad thing. Just because you fire a coach doesn’t mean that what comes next will be better, and for every Harbaugh who comes around, there’s a Walt Harris and Troy Taylor (I know Shaw wasn’t fired, but many people wanted him to be), or a Dawkins (also, his predecessor wasn’t fired but wasn’t exactly given a vote of confidence) or Haase. Everybody wants a Curt Cignetti at Indiana, but more often you get someone like Matt Ruhle at Nebraska (and that’s someone with a NFL experience and a great track record at Baylor).

BC

While the next person may not be a better coach, IMO, at least, you are trying and just because you don't succeed some of the time shouldn't hide the fact that you do succeed and sometimes wonderfully so on other occasions.

I rather give a new person a try than give the same coach multiple years and not see improvement - there can be a debate over what is the right number of years to give a coach and that's what a lot of sports debating is all about.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - Jskass - 02-14-2026

my two cents in question form comparing year two to year one: Is the talent better this year? Are the results consistent with the talent?
If so, keep going. If not, shift gears?

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - paloalto - 02-14-2026

I always thought it was a gamble to assume an assistant coach will be a good head coach. Sometimes it works out great but with no track record as a head coach it's difficult to predict how things will go.

I don't have a strong opinion. I've lost interest in the women's side of the sport. The officiating these days seems to put a premium on physical prowess over basketball skills and eloquence.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - jonnyss - 02-14-2026

i have read that players show the biggest improvement between freshman and sophomore years.

therefore, i would think we see how the team does next year. with 3 freshmen starting now, there should be a big improvement in team performance. if not, maybe kate isn't the one.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - KartyFan - 02-14-2026

(02-14-2026, 01:12 PM)jonnyss Wrote: i have read that players show the biggest improvement between freshman and sophomore years.

therefore, i would think we see how the team does next year. with 3 freshmen starting now, there should be a big improvement in team performance. if not, maybe kate isn't the one.

Well said!

Mudhead - Mudhead - 02-14-2026

Sometimes the price of balance is heresy . In this evaluation, I think it’s important to notice that the WBB program was limping quite a bit before Paye took over. We all respect and admire Tara. Full stop. Our WBB program completely missed the impact of NIL like payments and more importantly, the transfer portal. Further, we seemed to overestimate the holding power and attractiveness of a Stanford degree in a financial environment that at least appears to give young women a chance to make a lot of money at basketball…wherever your degree is from or whether you have one. (I’m not sure how real that is, but the perception is there and that counts for a great deal with 18-22 year olds)

We lost some championship caliber players through the portal and ceased to be the offer you would accept if you got it, almost whoever you were. I believe Paye inherited a program in decline and that she has a rebuilding job. yes , she was part of the team that led the decline but she wasn’t the top dog .

FYI, while I have shaken hands with Tara and Kate, I do not pretend to know them at all well . From what I do know, I them I admire each of them and am thankful for what they have given to Stanford. Paye may or may not be the right long term coach. And Tara will,go down, in my books as the goat. But let’s be real about the job in front of Paye and the status of the program she took over.

RE: Mudhead - TheFarm07 - 02-14-2026

(02-14-2026, 03:06 PM)Mudhead Wrote: Sometimes the price of balance is heresy . In this evaluation, I think it’s important to notice that the WBB program was limping quite a bit before Paye took over. We all respect and admire Tara. Full stop. Our WBB program completely missed the impact of NIL like payments and more importantly, the transfer portal. Further, we seemed to overestimate the holding power and attractiveness of a Stanford degree in a financial environment that at least appears to give young women a chance to make a lot of money at basketball…wherever your degree is from or whether you have one. (I’m not sure how real that is, but the perception is there and that counts for a great deal with 18-22 year olds)

We lost some championship caliber players through the portal and ceased to be the offer you would accept if you got it, almost whoever you were. I believe Paye inherited a program in decline and that she has a rebuilding job. yes , she was part of the team that led the decline but she wasn’t the top dog .

FYI, while I have shaken hands with Tara and Kate, I do not pretend to know them at all well . From what I do know, I them I admire each of them and am thankful for what they have given to Stanford. Paye may or may not be the right long term coach. And Tara will,go down, in my books as the goat. But let’s be real about the job in front of Paye and the status of the program she took over.

I agree that in the last couple years under Tara, even with a national title banner still fresh in the rafters, the program was declining with the upset loss to Ole Miss in 2023. I saw the early warning signs even as early in the national semis loss to UConn in 2022 when it seemed like we didn't adapt to the Huskies' defense and they just seemed to want it more in that game

That's why I wanted the school to look beyond in-house for the next coach, someone that can invigorate the team and modernize it to deal with the environment it's now in. NIL largely neutralizes one of our biggest selling points - a Stanford degree that will help them to a lifelong career, esp. when so few make it to the WNBA and the salaries were not exactly lucrative, esp. compared to their male counterparts. We needed to adjust to that

While Paye wasn't dealt a strong hand when she took over, I would still argue that she hasn't done the best in the parts she has had control over - the on-court product. I haven't had a chance to see many games but the ones I have watched coupled with the commentary here, points to a team who has underperformed given our talent level

I didn't expect us to challenge UConn or South Carolina for the title this year but with a strong veteran base and a talented freshmen class, a Top-25 ranking and a NCAA tournament berth didn't seem too outrageous of an ask.

I don't think we've been in the rankings this season and our hopes of qualifying are hanging on by a thread.

RE: Mudhead - Mudhead - 02-14-2026

(02-14-2026, 03:34 PM)TheFarm07 Wrote:
(02-14-2026, 03:06 PM)Mudhead Wrote: Sometimes the price of balance is heresy . In this evaluation, I think it’s important to notice that the WBB program was limping quite a bit before Paye took over. We all respect and admire Tara. Full stop. Our WBB program completely missed the impact of NIL like payments and more importantly, the transfer portal. Further, we seemed to overestimate the holding power and attractiveness of a Stanford degree in a financial environment that at least appears to give young women a chance to make a lot of money at basketball…wherever your degree is from or whether you have one. (I’m not sure how real that is, but the perception is there and that counts for a great deal with 18-22 year olds)

We lost some championship caliber players through the portal and ceased to be the offer you would accept if you got it, almost whoever you were. I believe Paye inherited a program in decline and that she has a rebuilding job. yes , she was part of the team that led the decline but she wasn’t the top dog .

FYI, while I have shaken hands with Tara and Kate, I do not pretend to know them at all well . From what I do know, I them I admire each of them and am thankful for what they have given to Stanford. Paye may or may not be the right long term coach. And Tara will,go down, in my books as the goat. But let’s be real about the job in front of Paye and the status of the program she took over.

I agree that in the last couple years under Tara, even with a national title banner still fresh in the rafters, the program was declining with the upset loss to Ole Miss in 2023. I saw the early warning signs even as early in the national semis loss to UConn in 2022 when it seemed like we didn't adapt to the Huskies' defense and they just seemed to want it more in that game

That's why I wanted the school to look beyond in-house for the next coach, someone that can invigorate the team and modernize it to deal with the environment it's now in. NIL largely neutralizes one of our biggest selling points - a Stanford degree that will help them to a lifelong career, esp. when so few make it to the WNBA and the salaries were not exactly lucrative, esp. compared to their male counterparts. We needed to adjust to that

While Paye wasn't dealt a strong hand when she took over, I would still argue that she hasn't done the best in the parts she has had control over - the on-court product. I haven't had a chance to see many games but the ones I have watched coupled with the commentary here, points to a team who has underperformed given our talent level

I didn't expect us to challenge UConn or South Carolina for the title this year but with a strong veteran base and a talented freshmen class, a Top-25 ranking and a NCAA tournament berth didn't seem too outrageous of an ask.

I don't think we've been in the rankings this season and our hopes of qualifying are hanging on by a thread.

I think you are very on target with your analysis. I do think an outsider, after all these years would have been very helpful. My assumption, based only on speculation, is that a committent was made to Paye in order to get her to stay and pass on headcoaching opportunities elsewhere, especially during the last couple of victory lap years. If that’s right, I won’t second guess that decision other than to say I have never seen that approach work in my own commercial career. But if made, th commitment had to be honored

It’s a bit of a quibble, but I think the rebuild is more difficult and from a deeper base than I or anyone else appreciated. So I’m inclined to give a little more time than I sense you are.

Hopefully , Kate can pull it off. In this mercurial era of college sports, it is really dicey to turn a program around when you can’t, won’t or shouldnt go big into the portal.

Thanks for sharing your thinking

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - stopandpop - 02-16-2026

As several posters have suggested, it's possible that Coach Paye is given another year or even two to 'right the ship' and as an outsider, most of you are more familiar with the workings and history of the Athletic Department and new A.D. than me.

But what if Kate Paye goes? What would the search for a new coach look like and who might some of the candidates be? I have no crystal ball and no inside (rumor) information, but I do cover the game nationally and am familiar with some of the potential coaches (I'm going to list), who might be up for the challenge of bringing Stanford WBB back to the national scene, who might just want a change, who is a great recruiter, while understanding the unique academic/athletic environment of Stanford sports. The list reflects coaches who I believe would inject a new identify, a new style of play that makes other teams uncomfortable, and better use of talent.

These coaches have (either), successfully turned around a once poorly performing program, have an excellent coaching track record and/or built a basketball powerhouse in their conference. Some of these coaches are from mid-majors, but my hunch is they have the savvy to transition to a power-four school. I would love to get your comments and even criticisms about the list. I just wanted to start the conversation.

In no particular order:
-Vanessa Blair-Lewis (George Mason)
-Brenda Frese (Maryland)
-Mark Campbell (TCU)
-Aaron Johnston (South Dakota State)
-Aaron Roussell (Richmond)
-Jeff Mittie (Kansas State)
-Charmin Smith (Cal.)
-Tricia Binford (Montana State)
-Scott Rueck (Oregon State)
-Lindy La Rocque (UNLV)

This may be a lost cause depending on Coach Paye's future, but if she goes, where does Stanford go? Your thoughts.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - BobK - 02-16-2026

We aren’t firing Kate but
Lisa Fortier Gonzaga. Went to HS in Auburn
Campbell but would he go from portal is easy to very hard
Lindy would be first choice
Rueck

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - jonnyss - 02-16-2026

(02-16-2026, 05:45 PM)BobK Wrote: We aren’t firing Kate but
Lisa Fortier Gonzaga. Went to HS in Auburn
Campbell but would he go from portal is easy to very hard
Lindy would be first choice
Rueck

if there ever were a turnaround coach, it would be rueck. iirc he came into the program after 2/3 of the players, including most of the starters, had transferred out. according to google ai, he had 5 scholarship players left and filled out the team the first year with 4 walk-ons, a volleyball player and a soccer player. but he had coached division 3 george fox to an undefeated national title. by 2024 he was espn national coach of the year runner-up.

if not rueck himself, this is the kind of coach many folks seem to be talking about - someone who has been a very successful head coach at a mid-major. maybe rueck's age of 41 when he started at osu rather than his current age of 56.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - Griffins78 - 02-16-2026

I love the way Natalie Nakase, HC of the Valkries, has her team play and think she coaches the way Stopandpop quoted Coach Wooden.

Lindy has turned around and led UNLV to success. I don’t know the other coaches but I have always liked Rueck and the way OSU players carried themselves and played.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - JTM - 02-16-2026

I would add Carla Berube (Princeton) to the list. She took over a successful program when Courtney Banghart left for UNC and kept it successful 141-27 (.839). She played at UConn and has been coaching for 17 years at Tufts and is in her 7th year at Princeton. And she is familiar with working at a high academic institution without the benefit of the transfer portal.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - stopandpop - 02-17-2026

(02-16-2026, 05:45 PM)BobK Wrote: We aren’t firing Kate but
Lisa Fortier Gonzaga. Went to HS in Auburn
Campbell but would he go from portal is easy to very hard
Lindy would be first choice
Rueck

You know, I totally forgot Fortier and would include her in the mix, should Paye not return. I have a sense that Campbell has a special knack for recruiting players and would do so even with the restrictions. Lindy would certainly be a strong candidate, given her Stanford connection and that she has turned UNLV into a powerhouse and probably get Tara's blessing, but I wonder if keeping the program 'in the Stanford family' is the best thing to do if the goal is to return to elite status.

I don't think Scott Rueck would want to leave Corvallis. He has it great there, but he's stuck in a current WCC conference that's basically a mid-major and (next year), OSU would be part of the new (watered-down), PAC-12. Perhaps Rueck might want to once again lead a power-4 conference team. He is one of the greatest team rebuilders in the country. He and his staff would turn Eschmeyer into an all-conference post. Stanford would look totally different.

(02-16-2026, 06:22 PM)jonnyss Wrote:
(02-16-2026, 05:45 PM)BobK Wrote: We aren’t firing Kate but
Lisa Fortier Gonzaga. Went to HS in Auburn
Campbell but would he go from portal is easy to very hard
Lindy would be first choice
Rueck

if there ever were a turnaround coach, it would be rueck. iirc he came into the program after 2/3 of the players, including most of the starters, had transferred out. according to google ai, he had 5 scholarship players left and filled out the team the first year with 4 walk-ons, a volleyball player and a soccer player. but he had coached division 3 george fox to an undefeated national title. by 2024 he was espn national coach of the year runner-up.

if not rueck himself, this is the kind of coach many folks seem to be talking about - someone who has been a very successful head coach at a mid-major. maybe rueck's age of 41 when he started at osu rather than his current age of 56.

See my reply to Bob K. re. Rueck. Agree with all your points.

(02-16-2026, 09:50 PM)JTM Wrote: I would add Carla Berube (Princeton) to the list. She took over a successful program when Courtney Banghart left for UNC and kept it successful 141-27 (.839). She played at UConn and has been coaching for 17 years at Tufts and is in her 7th year at Princeton. And she is familiar with working at a high academic institution without the benefit of the transfer portal.

You make a good argument about Berube. An outsider, but one who coaches at another elite academic institution.

(02-16-2026, 07:27 PM)Griffins78 Wrote: I love the way Natalie Nakase, HC of the Valkries, has her team play and think she coaches the way Stopandpop quoted Coach Wooden.

Lindy has turned around and led UNLV to success. I don’t know the other coaches but I have always liked Rueck and the way OSU players carried themselves and played.

You are spot-on about Nakase and how the Valkries play, especially on defense. She's becoming a new 'rock star' among WNBA coaches. The question is, would she give up all she currently has to coach in college in a challenging environment?

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - jonnyss - 02-17-2026

i don't know how much nakase gets but i believe the both the average pay and the pay for top programs is considerably higher in the ncaa than in the wnba (as we know, the top players get more in college as well). top wnba coach's salary 1.2 million according to google, and average salary much lower. by comparison, i believe dawn gets 4 million and geno and mulkey get north of 3. if stanford offered the 2.3 million that tara used to get, nakase might well consider jumping.

going in a different direction, i wonder if there is another kara lawson around. after the wnba, she was a broadcaster and had only one year of coaching - nba assistant - before taking the duke job. but before that she was naismith winner for best small player in college. final 4 at tennessee 3 times, championship game twice. top guard in the country was also the background of kim mulkey, dawn staley, and (going back a while) pat summit. is anyone surprised kara lawson is doing well? that said, it took til her 3rd year for duke to make the ncaa's, so another reason to give kate one more year.

anyway, are there any approximately 40-year-old women who were former all-american and all-pro guards who might want to coach stanford - even without a lot of coaching experience? maybe someone like sue bird? wait, i'll aim higher: what could becky hammon do for stanford. google says she gets 1 million to coach the aces. might she jump to stanford for 2.3?

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - stopandpop - 02-17-2026

Thank you all for your great contributions on who might be a potential coaching candidate should Kate Paye not continue. I am beginning to think Coach Paye will be given another year to turn the program around. But in the event she does not return (and based on your feedback) here are 3 coaches who might be a great fit for Stanford.

Fortier (Gonzaga)- Great X&O coach whose teams (with a couple of exceptions) have always given Stanford a very hard time, including that beat down up in Spokane a few years ago. Recruiting wise, she doesn't get the H.S. All-Americans, but she finds talented players for every position who perfectly fit her system. She has recruited internationally. I think she would be motivated to coach at a Power 4 school after so many years with a mid-major.

Rueck (Oregon State)- My gut tells me Scott will stay in Corvallis, but like Fortier, he may want to once-again be leading a Power 4 school after OSU was relegated to join a mid-major conference (the WCC). Rueck places a high value on academics and character-building. With the exception of Raegan Beers and Timea Gardner, he has never recruited a H.S. All-American, but Rueck finds raw talent and good players (under the radar) and develops them into great players at all positions. He is post-oriented as well as wing-oriented. Someone like Carly Amborn would be a key player in his system. He likes to find guards who can penetrate and score, but who are team-oriented and look for opportunities to get the ball into the post players- something Virginia did to Stanford time and time again. Rueck would make Chloe Clardy LOOK for Eschmeyer when she's driving to the hoop.

Berube (Princeton)- The more I look at what Carla Berube has done in her 7 years at Princeton, the more I think of her as the perfect outside candidate for Stanford. Going into this season, she is 121-25 (Vanderveer like stats) and her team is currently ranked #20. Berube would do fine in recruiting because (like Scott Rueck), she recruits and develops excellent H.S. talent that fits her system. Like Oregon State, Princeton does not play fast-paced, but their style gives opposing team fits. Her players are fearless and Berube has beaten the likes of (then) 6th. ranked Kentucky, N.C. State and Oklahoma. Last season, Princeton came into Pauly Pavilion (a game I watched on TV) and took UCLA to the wire (actually leading the Bruins in the 4th quarter, totally frustrating Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, and coach Cori Close. As said before, coaching for such a highly-rated academic school like Princeton could make her a very attractive candidate.

But I'm beginning to agree with those of you who believe Coach Paye will get another shot.

RE: Grading Kate Paye's Performance - Jskass - 02-17-2026

Of course Becky Hammon has an amazing track record, but I wonder if Stanford will pay $2.3 million before seeing success AT Stanford.