Next Wbb Coach

[NT03]

DONNA CAPPS:

Of the candidates, Capps probably has the best idea of the opportunities and obstacles UNT faces.

Capps spent seven seasons at UTA, where she compiled a 119-89 record and led the Mavericks to two NCAA Tournament appearances in her last three seasons. Capps would have much better facilities to work with at UNT and would be familiar with the area and its high school coaches.

Before she became a college coach at UTA, Capps won 510 games as a high school coach in Texas.

"I felt like I met a lot of key people and learned a lot about UNT," Capps said Friday following her interview. "It was all positive. I was really impressed with Rick Villarreal and how he has changed the landscape. I am also impressed with the president [Gretchen Bataille] and how supportive she is of athletics."

While Capps would offer experience, she also had a somewhat unusual departure from UTA.

Ron Powell, Capps' mentor and longtime assistant, was suspended and eventually reassigned by UTA's administration during her final season at the school, which she said at the time impacted her workload and health.

Capps resigned as UTA's head coach after the 2006-07 season to work in the Mesquite Independent School District.

Capps would offer perhaps the most applicable experience, if UNT decides to give her another chance to coach at the Division I level.

SHANICE STEPHENS:

Stephens has several of the attributes Villarreal said he is looking for in UNT's next head coach.

The Clemson associate head coach spent nine seasons at Rice when she showed that she could recruit Texas and is also an up-and-coming coach who could energize the Mean Green's program.

"I am ready to be a head coach," Stephens said. "I have plenty of experience and contacts. I am going to be good. I just need an opportunity."

Stephens is Clemson's recruiting coordinator and guided the school's efforts to sign a class in 2006 that was ranked No. 22 nationally by All-Star Girls report. Clemson's 2008 class is currently ranked No. 37 nationally

Rice averaged 19.9 wins a season during Stephens' time at the school.

Stephens' background is similar to that of UNT men's coach Johnny Jones, who has led the Mean Green to back-to-back 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007 after a long career mostly as an assistant at LSU, Memphis and AlabaMa

VIC SCHAEFER

Schaefer has coached at the highest levels of women's college basketball for the last 11 seasons as the top assistant to Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair.

Schaefer spent the last five seasons at A&M after six seasons at Arkansas. The Aggies advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Tennessee last season.

Schaefer was also the head coach at Sam Houston State from 1990-97 and has deep ties to high school coaches across the state.

The experience Schaefer offers both as an assistant and head coach would be an asset to UNT, although hiring him would leave UNT with just two female head coaches in its athletic department.

"I had a good visit with them today," Schaefer said of UNT's search committee following his interview. "They are great people with tremendous vision."

KENYA LARKIN:

UNT is looking for a coach who can recruit the top players out of the talent rich Dallas area.

Larkin has local ties that could prove fruitful and is a young coach on the upswing of her career. The Duncanville native began her playing career at Trinity Valley, where she was the point guard on the Lady Cardinals' team that finished 36-0 in 1999 and won the NJCAA national title.

Larkin finished her career at Texas and played professionally overseas before beginning her coaching career at Trinity Valley under current OSU head coach Kurt Budke, who brought Larkin with him to Stillwater.

OSU advanced to the Sweet 16 in last season's NCAA Tournament.

Larkin is also engaged to current Trinity Valley head coach Michael Landers, who could join UNT's staff if his finance is hired by UNT.

Hiring Larkin is just one of several options Villarreal says he likes. The decision is now up to him and the school's search committee.

"I will take some time to visit with the president and go back through my notes," Villarreal said. "Then we will make a decision. We brought in a lot of quality candidates."

**aLL iNfo pER a ViTo Article**

I have a feeling this will be a lop sided poll with

Edited April 14, 2008 by NT03

[OldTimer]

Misc info on Shandice Stephens....she is married, has two daughters and from a biography post I saw was pregnant with a son...didn't remember to get the date of the post....so the son may have already come. She is black.....I don't add this to be a negative, but hopefully it should be a positive ....I don't care in our next womens BB coach is purple, black, oriental or hispanic ...only if she can recruit high quality players (without recruiting violations) and win games.,

DONNA CAPPS:

Of the candidates, Capps probably has the best idea of the opportunities and obstacles UNT faces.

Capps spent seven seasons at UTA, where she compiled a 119-89 record and led the Mavericks to two NCAA Tournament appearances in her last three seasons. Capps would have much better facilities to work with at UNT and would be familiar with the area and its high school coaches.

Before she became a college coach at UTA, Capps won 510 games as a high school coach in Texas.

"I felt like I met a lot of key people and learned a lot about UNT," Capps said Friday following her interview. "It was all positive. I was really impressed with Rick Villarreal and how he has changed the landscape. I am also impressed with the president [Gretchen Bataille] and how supportive she is of athletics."

While Capps would offer experience, she also had a somewhat unusual departure from UTA.

Ron Powell, Capps' mentor and longtime assistant, was suspended and eventually reassigned by UTA's administration during her final season at the school, which she said at the time impacted her workload and health.

Capps resigned as UTA's head coach after the 2006-07 season to work in the Mesquite Independent School District.

Capps would offer perhaps the most applicable experience, if UNT decides to give her another chance to coach at the Division I level.

SHANICE STEPHENS:

Stephens has several of the attributes Villarreal said he is looking for in UNT's next head coach.

The Clemson associate head coach spent nine seasons at Rice when she showed that she could recruit Texas and is also an up-and-coming coach who could energize the Mean Green's program.

"I am ready to be a head coach," Stephens said. "I have plenty of experience and contacts. I am going to be good. I just need an opportunity."

Stephens is Clemson's recruiting coordinator and guided the school's efforts to sign a class in 2006 that was ranked No. 22 nationally by All-Star Girls report. Clemson's 2008 class is currently ranked No. 37 nationally

Rice averaged 19.9 wins a season during Stephens' time at the school.

Stephens' background is similar to that of UNT men's coach Johnny Jones, who has led the Mean Green to back-to-back 20-win seasons and an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2007 after a long career mostly as an assistant at LSU, Memphis and AlabaMa

VIC SCHAEFER

Schaefer has coached at the highest levels of women's college basketball for the last 11 seasons as the top assistant to Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair.

Schaefer spent the last five seasons at A&M after six seasons at Arkansas. The Aggies advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament before falling to Tennessee last season.

Schaefer was also the head coach at Sam Houston State from 1990-97 and has deep ties to high school coaches across the state.

The experience Schaefer offers both as an assistant and head coach would be an asset to UNT, although hiring him would leave UNT with just two female head coaches in its athletic department.

"I had a good visit with them today," Schaefer said of UNT's search committee following his interview. "They are great people with tremendous vision."

KENYA LARKIN:

UNT is looking for a coach who can recruit the top players out of the talent rich Dallas area.

Larkin has local ties that could prove fruitful and is a young coach on the upswing of her career. The Duncanville native began her playing career at Trinity Valley, where she was the point guard on the Lady Cardinals' team that finished 36-0 in 1999 and won the NJCAA national title.

Larkin finished her career at Texas and played professionally overseas before beginning her coaching career at Trinity Valley under current OSU head coach Kurt Budke, who brought Larkin with him to Stillwater.

OSU advanced to the Sweet 16 in last season's NCAA Tournament.

Larkin is also engaged to current Trinity Valley head coach Michael Landers, who could join UNT's staff if his finance is hired by UNT.

Hiring Larkin is just one of several options Villarreal says he likes. The decision is now up to him and the school's search committee.

"I will take some time to visit with the president and go back through my notes," Villarreal said. "Then we will make a decision. We brought in a lot of quality candidates."

**aLL iNfo pER a ViTo Article**

I have a feeling this will be a lop sided poll with

[MCMLXXX]

Vito predicts Stephens.

http://meangreen.beloblog.com/

[NT03]

I guess I'm the only one who is going to be right

[NT80]

I feel this could be "opportunity lost".

[SUMG]

Misc info on Shandice Stephens....she is married, has two daughters and from a biography post I saw was pregnant with a son...didn't remember to get the date of the post....so the son may have already come. She is black.....I don't add this to be a negative, but hopefully it should be a positive ....I don't care in our next womens BB coach is purple, black, oriental or hispanic ...only if she can recruit high quality players (without recruiting violations) and win games.,

Well you may be Mr. Multi-Cultural, but I'll be damned if I'm gonna support a coach who is purple. Seriously, according to this bio, Coach Stephens may now have 5 kiddos (some of her own, some step children). Here's a Clemson bio on Coach Stephens:

http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/w-bas..._shanice00.html

Edited April 14, 2008 by SUMG

[NT80]

Seriously, according to this bio, Coach Stephens may now have 5 kiddos (some of her own, some step children). Here's a Clemson bio on Coach Stephens:

http://clemsontigers.cstv.com/sports/w-bas..._shanice00.html

Which brings up the question does a mom with a newborn and 5 kids under 14 have enough time to focus on a coaching a team? Guess we may find out soon enough. I hope this isn't just the PC choice. BTW, Clemson had another losing season this past year (12-19) and has not had a winning season since the new head coach (also from Rice with Stephens) came there three years ago.

Edited April 14, 2008 by NT80

[emmitt01]

Good to see that the majority of our fans want the person who won't be hired.

[SUMG]

BTW, Clemson had another losing season this past year (12-19) and has not had a winning season since the new head coach (also from Rice with Stephens) came there three years ago.

That explains why her Clemson record is glossed over, and all you hear is that her teams averaged 19 wins a season, while she was at Rice.

[GoMeanGreen1999]

Good to see that the majority of our fans want the person who won't be hired.

Trust in RV

[OldTimer]

Which brings up the question does a mom with a newborn and 5 kids under 14 have enough time to focus on a coaching a team? Guess we may find out soon enough. I hope this isn't just the PC choice. BTW, Clemson had another losing season this past year (12-19) and has not had a winning season since the new head coach (also from Rice with Stephens) came there three years ago.

Just found out that Stephens is pregnant with her child due in November...seems like I remember thats in the middle of the basketball season?

[SUMG]

Just found out that Stephens is pregnant with her child due in November...seems like I remember thats in the middle of the basketball season?

Are you kidding me? We live through 19 years of Slinker Ball....and we might finally replace her with a woman who would be giving birth during the 1st month of the season?

[DeepGreen]

Are you kidding me? We live through 19 years of Slinker Ball....and we might finally replace her with a woman who would be giving birth during the 1st month of the season?

And does FMLA mean anything to you? And if she's not hired, she could sue the university for descrimination for not hiring her because she's pregnant. Only at North Texas.

[NT80]

Just found out that Stephens is pregnant with her child due in November...seems like I remember thats in the middle of the basketball season?

I believe that info on her bio is from before last season started so this might mean it was due last November... 2007.

[FirefightnRick]

At this point I would be MORE interested in hearing WHY 11 others would want someone else other than the one coach(Donna Capps) on this list who has done the impossible............TWICE??????

Rick

[NT03]

Rick I'm guessing ViTo was on the committee