Change Coming For St. Kate's

Earlier this week, St. Kate's Athletic Director Eric Stacey announced that Sean Pinkerton; who had been at the helm of the women's basketball program the last five seasons, was stepping down as Head Coach to accept a similar position at Oswego State out of the SUNYAC.  Pinkerton; who hails from upper New York state and graduated from Hamilton College in '05, compiled a 44-81 during his five-year stint which at first glance may seem hardly impressive but that doesn't reflect the fact that each subsequent year he was able to take the team up another notch.  From a dismal 2-23 record in 2012-13, the 'Cats upped that record to 4-21 the following season and then notched a 10-15 record in the 2014-15 season and then went 14-11 the following year.  This last season, the Wildcats went 15-11 and hard work and perseverance enabled Pinkerton to get St. Kate's into the MIAC Playoffs for the first time since the 2009-10 season.  And keep in mind that St. Kate's doesn't have all the natural advantages that a school such as UST, GAC, Concordia or CSB has to offer.  This guy turned the St. Kate's program from nothing into something in a relatively short period of time.

I hate to see Pinkerton leave.  I consider him a good friend and a coach I can always talk to after a hard game - win or lose.  I probably learned more of the nuances of the game than I have from any other coach or player and the business of how conferences and the NCAA work.  But, at the same time, this is a great opportunity for him to get closer to home and his family back in New York and you can't blame him for that.  And no doubt he'll work his magic at Oswego State in a very tough SUNYAC that includes the likes of perennial powerhouse SUNY Geneseo that went 28-2 last year and made a nice little run in the NCAA Tournament along with SUNY New Paltz; another NCAA Tournament participant and SUNY Oneonta.  Even more interesting is that recent St. Kate's grad Mari Lee will be Pinkerton's assistant at Oswego State.

Now the burden lies with St. Kate's Stacey who must gather up a short list of names and make a good choice to lead the program forward.  Many times the process is a bit easier as these things usually happen in March and April after the season has ended.  But the fact that this happened in late July/early August gives Stacey a very short window of time to work with and an equally short window of time for any future coach to get himself/herself acclimated to a new surrounding and acquainted with the players as well and sell (quite possibly) an entirely new system to them - never an easy task.  I think if anyone can make a good hire in a relatively short period of time, it's Stacey but there will be a lot of pressure on him to make the right hire and for the new coach - whoever that is - to keep the beat that Pinkerton had going.

Also, I want to apologize for those who have been following my blog for the Women's College Summer League and who had hoped to see the results of the playoffs that concluded there last night.  I have been experiencing some serious issues with my right hip that has hampered my ability to get around the way I would normally like (not to mention keeping me off the tennis court and the workout room as well).  I'm currently undergoing treatment for my hip issue and when it comes time for me to take the next step - whatever that is - I'll let you know.