Six weeks ago, assistant women’s basketball coach Willette White felt the urge to play basketball again. During a friendly game of five-on-five with friends in Los Angeles, she ruptured her patella tendon.
Following surgery the next day, Oregon’s latest addition to the women’s basketball program has been wearing a brace on her leg.
White, who replaced Peg Swadener, arrived in Eugene this week and attended practice Tuesday afternoon, getting to know players and a program seeking a return to prominence. Today, she will address the media on her first official day on the job.
White came from Northeastern University, where she served as head coach the last six years and guided the program’s move from the America East Conference to the Colonial Athletic Association.
Two years ago, White, a 15-year veteran of the Pac-10, talked to Oregon coach Bev Smith and expressed her interest in returning to the Pacific-10 Conference.
“If you’re on the West Coast, there’s no better conference to be in,” White said. White said she had a few things to finish before she returned to the Pac-10.
“I learned a lot from that experience,” White said of being a
head coach. “Someday, maybe I’ll give it another try, but at this point in time I’m just really excited about being an Oregon Duck and helping them to go where they want to go.”
When Swadener, Oregon’s recruiting coordinator, stepped aside this spring, an opportunity opened for White to join Smith’s coaching staff, which also includes Phil Brown and Selena Ho.
White plans to fly back east Tuesday, finish packing and return on June 17. She’ll then begin to fully immerse herself in the program. There’s recruiting in July and basketball camps to attend. Then, White said, she plans to take a breather in August and adjust to her new home and life in Eugene.
Both Smith and guard Cicely Oaks emphasized White’s coaching experience, which includes eight years at Washington, and most recently, seven years as an assistant coach at UCLA under Kathy Olivier.
She’s learned from elite coaches with stints at Ohio State under Tara VanDerveer and with Team USA at the Junior World Championships under Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.
“You always steal things from everybody. … Part of being a head coach is learning from other people,” White said.
At UCLA, White recruited high profile athletes to the Westwood campus and is now looking to do the same at Oregon.
“I still have contacts on the West Coast that I’m excited to renew,” White said. “If we ever need some on the East Coast, I’m sure I either know those people, or know some people who know those people.
“I think that’s important to continue relationships that I’ve built.”
Oaks said diversity on the coaching staff can only help to recruit elite talent of all ethnic backgrounds.
“I think that was something we were definitely lacking, and that’s probably why we had a harder time bringing African-American players, to be specific,” Oaks said. “They didn’t have someone on the coaching staff they could relate to.”
Diversity is essential, White said.
“It’s kind of how our world is made up of – a diverse population here is only preparing them for the real world. So that’s really important,” she said.
White will attempt to draw players to Eugene, a relatively secluded area compared to expansive Southern California.
“You got to look at it – ‘This is four or five years of my life. If this is not somewhere that I want to stay, that’s OK, but it’s preparing me to make some choices when it’s all over,’” White said.
When talking to the Emerald and interacting with players at a spring practice, White showed a calm demeanor and an ability to relate to student athletes.
“She likes people as much as she likes the game, and that’s important because recruiting is all about establishing relationships and getting to know people and having them get to know you,” Smith said. “And she is very good at that.”
On the basketball court, White is going to work with Oregon’s perimeter players – especially guards – including Oaks, Tamika Nurse, Kaela Chapdelaine and incoming freshmen Micaela Cocks and Taylor Lilley. The program has emphasized its motion offense this spring with Smith indicating next year’s team will be more up-tempo and smaller than last season.
White called McArthur Court a “very, very difficult place to play” for visiting teams. Oregon, 9-5 at home last season, but only 4-9 on the road, missed out on postseason play at 14-15 overall. The team was 1-1 at neutral sites.
“Last year they did have a little bit of a down year, but I think that had to do with some injuries and some young kids,” White said.
Watching White from the sideline Tuesday, Oaks saw potential for the future.
“She seems really cool,” Oaks said. “I just want to see her coaching style on the floor – if she’s a yeller or if she’s as mellow as she is right now.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine.”