The San Diego State women’s basketball program is looking to headin another direction — preferably, up.
SDSU’s Executive Director of Athletics Rick Bay hopes the answerto that change in status lies in former men’s basketball assistantcoach Jim Tomey, whom Bay hired yesterday to become the seventhwomen’s head coach in Aztecs history.
“We had an extremely strong pool of candidates that we visitedwith,” Bay said. “Jim was our first choice and we are very excitedabout where he can take our program.”
Bay said the two sides agreed on a four-year contract that willroll over at the beginning of next season into another four-yeardeal. Tomey will receive a base salary of $85,000 per year, but canearn more through incentives.
“There is a sense of pride here that will compel us to do greatthings with this women’s basketball program,” Tomey said. “I’mexcited. I’m ready to go and get this thing moving.”
He replaces former coach Barb Smith, whose contract was notextended past the 2001-02 season after SDSU fell in the opening roundof the Mountain West Conference Tournament in March.
Under Smith, the Aztecs compiled a 49-86 record overall in fiveseasons at SDSU. That included a seventh-place finish in MWC playthis season (10-18, 2-12 in MWC).
Smith took over for Beth Burns, who left SDSU to coach at OhioState after seven years on the Mesa. During Burns’ run, SDSU reachedthe women’s NCAA Tournament in four of five years and posted anabove-.500 record in six of seven campaigns.
“I felt as though our women’s program has lost a lot of itssupport base over the last three years mainly because we weren’twinning,” Bay said. “We need to somehow recapture that. Jim offersthat potential.”
Tomey’s potential to turn things around was evidenced this pastmen’s basketball season. During a Feb. 10 practice following ablowout home loss to Utah, Tomey launched into a tirade that manyplayers and coaches credit with helping turn the season around.
“That practice epitomizes who Coach Tomey is,” said SDSU sophomoreChris Walton. “He brings energy and passion to the basketball court.The girls are lucky to have him.”
Tomey’s style was something that was lacking in the Smith era,according to some players.
“I think the coaching staff in the past was a little moresoft-spoken,” junior guard Jamey Cox said. “They weren’t as intense.
“We’ve come very, very close in the past. We’re right there withthe top teams. We just maybe needed some extra pushing.”
