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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2019494
WNBA's Cooper won't lead Lady Tigers
By W.H. STICKNEY JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Injured Comets star Cynthia Cooper is interested in re-entering the coaching profession, but she'll have to cross Texas Southern off the list of potential employers.
TSU athletic director Alois Blackwell today said the university doesn't believe Cooper would be the perfect fit to replace Lacey Reynolds as coach of the Lady Tigers.
"It's not the fact that we wouldn't be interested (in hiring Cooper)," Blackwell said.
"I don't know if she knows all of the dynamics of what goes on here. Cynthia was a coach out in Phoenix (of the WNBA) and I don't believe she liked that too much. And that's the reason she ended up just leaving in the middle of a season. I don't know all of what went on out there.
"But from my recollection, she quit (10 games deep into the 2002 season)."
Cooper in recent days had been rumored as a candidate to become coach of TSU women's basketball.
A source close to the situation said last week TSU had expressed marginal interest in getting Cooper to replace Reynolds.
After three unsuccessful seasons as coach of the TSU Lady Tigers, Reynolds was forced to resign following the 2002-2003 campaign.
He remains with the university in a teaching capacity.
Cooper, 40, made a celebrated return to the Comets in May after spending a year-plus coaching the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.
She suffered a season-ending shoulder injury while practicing with the Comets in early June.
Cooper said she was never contacted by TSU about coaching the women's basketball team, but expressed interest in the position.
"I'm very interested in getting back into coaching," she said. "I would definitely want to coach at the collegiate level. I'd definitely want to stay as close to home as possible. And I want to teach the game of basketball, I want to win. That's all I'm about. So, whatever program I'm affiliated with, that's my number one goal."
Cooper said she's "studied upon TSU a little bit" and knows of their unsuccessful history.
It is her belief that recruiting athletes to reverse the trend would be no problem.
"You know, Texas has great talent," she said. "And if we could get some of those players to stay at home and play for us, if I was to coach in Texas, then that would be great."
Blackwell said he's uncertain whether Cooper would be comfortable at TSU.
In the WNBA, Blackwell said, "you fly to most places as far as (coaching in that league).
"This situation here, you'd be going on the bus, be gone for four days and things like that. I think it was a family situation (that led to Cooper's resignation at Phoenix) where she wanted to be with her kids more. This wouldn't be a situation where she would be with them more because we travel by buses, sometimes 10 hours on the bus going from here to Alabama.
"I don't know if this is really the right application for her."
Cooper, a long-time resident of Houston, spent a year and a half as an assistant coach of women's basketball at the University of Houston under Jessie Kenlaw.
After leading the Comets to a fourth straight WNBA world title in 2000, Cooper retired as an active player.
She was hired in 2001 to replace former Southern Cal teammate Cheryl Miller as coach of the Mercury.
Ten games into the 2002 season and following the birth by surrogate mother of twins (a boy and a girl), Cooper left the Mercury in what she has said was an amicable separation.
While Cooper is interested in coaching on the collegiate level, she has expressed a strong desire to return to the Comets in 2004.
WNBA's Cooper won't lead Lady Tigers
By W.H. STICKNEY JR.
Copyright 2003 Houston Chronicle
Injured Comets star Cynthia Cooper is interested in re-entering the coaching profession, but she'll have to cross Texas Southern off the list of potential employers.
TSU athletic director Alois Blackwell today said the university doesn't believe Cooper would be the perfect fit to replace Lacey Reynolds as coach of the Lady Tigers.
"It's not the fact that we wouldn't be interested (in hiring Cooper)," Blackwell said.
"I don't know if she knows all of the dynamics of what goes on here. Cynthia was a coach out in Phoenix (of the WNBA) and I don't believe she liked that too much. And that's the reason she ended up just leaving in the middle of a season. I don't know all of what went on out there.
"But from my recollection, she quit (10 games deep into the 2002 season)."
Cooper in recent days had been rumored as a candidate to become coach of TSU women's basketball.
A source close to the situation said last week TSU had expressed marginal interest in getting Cooper to replace Reynolds.
After three unsuccessful seasons as coach of the TSU Lady Tigers, Reynolds was forced to resign following the 2002-2003 campaign.
He remains with the university in a teaching capacity.
Cooper, 40, made a celebrated return to the Comets in May after spending a year-plus coaching the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.
She suffered a season-ending shoulder injury while practicing with the Comets in early June.
Cooper said she was never contacted by TSU about coaching the women's basketball team, but expressed interest in the position.
"I'm very interested in getting back into coaching," she said. "I would definitely want to coach at the collegiate level. I'd definitely want to stay as close to home as possible. And I want to teach the game of basketball, I want to win. That's all I'm about. So, whatever program I'm affiliated with, that's my number one goal."
Cooper said she's "studied upon TSU a little bit" and knows of their unsuccessful history.
It is her belief that recruiting athletes to reverse the trend would be no problem.
"You know, Texas has great talent," she said. "And if we could get some of those players to stay at home and play for us, if I was to coach in Texas, then that would be great."
Blackwell said he's uncertain whether Cooper would be comfortable at TSU.
In the WNBA, Blackwell said, "you fly to most places as far as (coaching in that league).
"This situation here, you'd be going on the bus, be gone for four days and things like that. I think it was a family situation (that led to Cooper's resignation at Phoenix) where she wanted to be with her kids more. This wouldn't be a situation where she would be with them more because we travel by buses, sometimes 10 hours on the bus going from here to Alabama.
"I don't know if this is really the right application for her."
Cooper, a long-time resident of Houston, spent a year and a half as an assistant coach of women's basketball at the University of Houston under Jessie Kenlaw.
After leading the Comets to a fourth straight WNBA world title in 2000, Cooper retired as an active player.
She was hired in 2001 to replace former Southern Cal teammate Cheryl Miller as coach of the Mercury.
Ten games into the 2002 season and following the birth by surrogate mother of twins (a boy and a girl), Cooper left the Mercury in what she has said was an amicable separation.
While Cooper is interested in coaching on the collegiate level, she has expressed a strong desire to return to the Comets in 2004.
