Last week’s resignation of assistant women’s basketball coach Peg Swadener, rumored to happen by a local paper, came as a surprise to many of her players.
Oregon’s athletic department quietly released the news April 11 and disclosed few details about her decision. Reached by telephone
Monday afternoon, Swadener explained why she decided to leave Oregon and what her plans are for the future.
“It’s just time for a change for me,” Swadener said.
Originally, Swadener thought of leaving last spring when then-assistant coaches Mike and Allison McNeill left, but chose to stay and help head coach Bev Smith with the transition to new assistants Phil Brown and Selena Ho. Brown provided X’s and O’s, Ho worked with guards and Swadener coached the post players.
Under Swadener’s watch, Gabrielle Richards emerged as a viable low post threat and Jessie Shetters came on late in the season. Swadener’s influence came in different forms: extra work on post moves, but mainly “just giving me the confidence to try new things,” Richards said.
Where Swadener goes now is unclear. She is currently sifting through job opportunities, looking at coaching and administrative positions. Becoming a head coach is a possibility, but she is not actively pursuing it.
“I have things I still need to learn as far as that is concerned, but that is definitely the next step in my career,” Swadener said.
In a telephone interview, senior guard Chelsea Wagner described a tireless worker, one she believes could make a quality head coach. Swadener understands the game and has the work ethic necessary, Wagner said.
“She was a great communicator,” Wagner said. “It was really easy to go up and always talk to her about what was going on.”
Location and staying close to home are secondary, according to Swadener.
“The important thing for me is being part of a program that I believe in and wherever that takes me is where it will take me,” she said. “It’s about the people and about the team and the coaching staff that I would be working with.”
Swadener’s youth and hometown flavor helped forge relationships with players after joining an Oregon coaching staff in 2003 featuring Smith and the two McNeills.
“I was able to step in immediately and bridge that gap between the players and the staff,” Swadener said.
Her resignation caught some players with close bonds off-guard.
“I was surprised,” Wagner said. “(I) just didn’t realize that she was thinking about leaving. The girls were really upset about it.”
Ryan Spiegel, who served as one of four practice players last season, didn’t notice any signs that indicated she was leaving.
“(It) seemed like she was trying to get the team better for next year,” Spiegel said.
“It didn’t seem like she was leaving or anything like that.”
Three days after the announcement, Smith shed few details on Swadener’s decision. Swadener’s resignation came at the end of Oregon’s season, but became effective last Monday, Smith said.
“She was ready to move on to some other things in life, and that’s a good thing, and she’s certainly served us well and done some good things when she was here at Oregon,” Smith said.
Oregon ended a sub-.500 season in March with a loss to Arizona in the first round of the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament in San Jose, Calif. The season’s underwhelming performance came after Oregon reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament and lost to eventual champion Baylor in 2004-05. The team started the 2005-06 season with an 8-1 record and skidded to a 14-15 overall finish – just 5-13 in conference play.
Last season’s results played no part in her decision, Swadener said.
As an assistant, Swadener participated in a staff-wide recruiting effort. Swadener was hired right after the junior class came in and made a larger impact on the freshman and sophomore recruiting classes, she said.
With three scholarships available and in the midst of finding players, Smith said the coaching staff has shifted responsibilities with assistant coaches Brown and Ho taking more responsibility. There are two official visits and an unofficial visit by recruits set for this month, Smith said.
“Selena, Phil and I are completely immersed in the recruiting as we had been even during Peg’s presence here,” Smith said.
The job search for a new assistant begins this week. Oregon is seeking a qualified coach who has recruiting experience.
“You are looking at people who know the geographical areas that we recruit in and have contacts and are experienced and have qualities in that person in terms of professionally – the ability to coach the game and be with young student athletes and help them grow,” Smith said.
This marks the second consecutive offseason featuring a coaching change, which Richards indicated shouldn’t be an issue. She refers to growing up and being taught under numerous personalities and the need to work hard for the coaches who are here.
Departing Swadener started her coaching career at her alma mater, Eugene’s Marist High, in 1995. She coached the girls junior varsity basketball team to a 42-0 record over two years.
Swadener moved on and spent five years at Boise State and one year at Idaho State before returning home. Her parents live in the area as does her former college coach, Elwin Heiny, of Creswell.
Swadener’s Oregon athletic career began as a walk-on under Heiny. She eventually became a scholarship player. She ranks ninth all-time in Oregon history for career three-pointers with 79 and sits 10th all-time in accuracy in a single season (39 percent as a senior).
Wagner has known Swadener since fifth grade and participated in local basketball camps with the Eugene native growing up. The pair reunited when Swadener joined Oregon’s coaching staff following Wagner’s redshirt year in 2002-03.
The memories she left are long lasting, whether it’s small jokes or jumping in and participating in shooting contests, Richards said. Wagner said she wholeheartedly trusts her former coach no matter why Swadener chose to leave.
“We all respected her so much and trust her so much that I don’t think any of us really need a reason because we know that whatever reason she has is a good one,” Wagner said.

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