Post by kiyoat on Dec 5, 2019 9:04:13 GMT -6
I've been thinking about this for the last year, but didn't want to start a thread about it because of the bad Juju. You can all blame me if she gets hired away, I guess.
The bad news (for the Yotes):
1. Leanne's coaching resume is textbook "up-and-coming coach". She is young, and her on-court results have trended up through her relatively short HC career. The fact that her recruiting chops have increased as well is a bonus.
2. The program firsts we have experienced over the last two seasons will get noticed. Not necessarily by the volleyball fan community since we are a lowly mid-major, but noticed by ADs and the coaching community.
3. Her kids are all still Pre-K. No problem disrupting them.
4. She and her husband are both from the greater Milwaukee area. I'll assume they both have family there.
The good news:
1. Volleyball coaches don't move around as much as football and basketball coaches. Especially at good programs. They are paid less, but with that comes less intense pressure to win immediately. There is more patience for rebuilding, and more loyalty for winning. Basically what basketball and football used to be like before salaries ballooned.
2. Leanne, to my knowledge, does not come from an extensive coaching tree. Often, that is a way that coaches get opportunities. To me, that makes her rise that much more impressive. She played under Kathy Litzau (14-year Milwaukee HC, current AAD Milwaukee) and Susie Johnson (10-year asst and 12 year and current HC at Milwaukee). Also an assistant she played under was Matt Houk, who she coached under at USD (he is now the longtime assistant at Minnesota). In coaching terms that is not an extensive, or widespread tree.
3. Leanne's entire coaching career has been at USD. This is her 11th season in Vermillion, 6 of those as HC. Not only is that a long time to live in a place, but she has been with the program all through the move from DII to DI, the Den to the SCSC, and through the rise of the program. She has to feel some ownership and pride in what she has accomplished here.
4. The SCSC is a great VB venue. So many volleyball programs play in sub-standard gyms. The amazing fan support we have built in recent years has to be a factor as well. Both good facilities and good fans can be rare in this sport.
5. Herbster has shown that he will fight to keep good coaches here. I don't think I have to give all of the examples.
6. Right now I don't see many great opportunities out there in the upper midwest. Recruiting is pretty important, and her entire playing and coaching career has been in this region. I doubt she would entertain a move elsewhere (or be offered a job elsewhere). I don't see her moving to another mid-major other than her alma-mater or Green Bay/Marquette. All of those programs are doing very well right now. As for the P-5 programs, the only struggling ones in this region are Northwestern and Iowa, both of which have hired coaches recently.
7. This team is built for ongoing success. Her recruiting has really snowballed to the point that this team should be a contender for the forseeable future. We have three more years of Juhnke to look forward to. Nuff said.
The bad news (for the Yotes):
1. Leanne's coaching resume is textbook "up-and-coming coach". She is young, and her on-court results have trended up through her relatively short HC career. The fact that her recruiting chops have increased as well is a bonus.
2. The program firsts we have experienced over the last two seasons will get noticed. Not necessarily by the volleyball fan community since we are a lowly mid-major, but noticed by ADs and the coaching community.
3. Her kids are all still Pre-K. No problem disrupting them.
4. She and her husband are both from the greater Milwaukee area. I'll assume they both have family there.
The good news:
1. Volleyball coaches don't move around as much as football and basketball coaches. Especially at good programs. They are paid less, but with that comes less intense pressure to win immediately. There is more patience for rebuilding, and more loyalty for winning. Basically what basketball and football used to be like before salaries ballooned.
2. Leanne, to my knowledge, does not come from an extensive coaching tree. Often, that is a way that coaches get opportunities. To me, that makes her rise that much more impressive. She played under Kathy Litzau (14-year Milwaukee HC, current AAD Milwaukee) and Susie Johnson (10-year asst and 12 year and current HC at Milwaukee). Also an assistant she played under was Matt Houk, who she coached under at USD (he is now the longtime assistant at Minnesota). In coaching terms that is not an extensive, or widespread tree.
3. Leanne's entire coaching career has been at USD. This is her 11th season in Vermillion, 6 of those as HC. Not only is that a long time to live in a place, but she has been with the program all through the move from DII to DI, the Den to the SCSC, and through the rise of the program. She has to feel some ownership and pride in what she has accomplished here.
4. The SCSC is a great VB venue. So many volleyball programs play in sub-standard gyms. The amazing fan support we have built in recent years has to be a factor as well. Both good facilities and good fans can be rare in this sport.
5. Herbster has shown that he will fight to keep good coaches here. I don't think I have to give all of the examples.
6. Right now I don't see many great opportunities out there in the upper midwest. Recruiting is pretty important, and her entire playing and coaching career has been in this region. I doubt she would entertain a move elsewhere (or be offered a job elsewhere). I don't see her moving to another mid-major other than her alma-mater or Green Bay/Marquette. All of those programs are doing very well right now. As for the P-5 programs, the only struggling ones in this region are Northwestern and Iowa, both of which have hired coaches recently.
7. This team is built for ongoing success. Her recruiting has really snowballed to the point that this team should be a contender for the forseeable future. We have three more years of Juhnke to look forward to. Nuff said.
