Coming home to coach

CLEMSON -- Athletic directors often have a list of names tucked away in a desk drawer in the event of a coaching departure.

There was essentially one name on the women's basketball list should the head coaching position at Clemson be vacated: Itoro Umoh Coleman.

When former coach Cristy McKinney departed earlier this month after five losing seasons, the administration requested a waiver to circumvent the usual interview process and simply bring in and eventually hire Coleman.

Clemson introduced Coleman as its new women's basketball coach on Monday. Coleman's task is to turn around a languishing program in one of the nation's toughest conferences. Coleman has been a part of Clemson success before.

The former All-ACC point guard led the Lady Tigers to a pair of ACC Tournament championships in 1996 and 1999 -- the program's only conference titles -- and finished with a 93-33 record as a player at Clemson.

"I take it personal," said Coleman of turning around the program. "I am a product of the university."

Clemson forward Shaniqua Pauldo likes the hire. "I automatically have respect for her," Pauldo said. "She has the credentials after what she accomplished here."

Coleman will be a first-time head coach after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at Penn State. Coleman had also been an assistant for five years at Clemson before joining the Penn State staff.

Coleman is known as an excellent recruiter, who prefers an up-tempo pace and brings a youthful exuberance to the program. Clemson associate athletic director Barbara Kennedy-Dixon said Coleman brings a "passion" to the position. And it was Kennedy-Dixon who was influential in hiring Coleman, according to athletic director Terry Don Phillips.

"(Kennedy-Dixon) pounded on my desk and said 'Look, I know this girl. She'll get the job done,' " Phillips said.

Former Clemson coach Jim Davis attended the press conference and said Coleman possesses natural leadership skills. Davis proved it was possible to create and sustain a winning women's basketball program at Clemson, leading the Tigers to 14 NCAA appearances and a 355-197 record in 18 years at Clemson.

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McKinney followed Davis in 2005 and went 58-93 in five seasons.

Asked if she had a timetable for returning the Tigers to winning basketball, Coleman said maybe three or four years, but she would like to do it this coming season.

Coleman mentioned two other Phillips hires: Oliver Purnell and Dabo Swinney saying she wants to "bring the same type of direction to the women's program."

Like Coleman, Swinney became the football head coach without any previous head-coaching experience. Coleman, who played briefly in the WNBA, is ready for a similar challenge.

"No staff is going to work harder," Coleman said. "No team is going to work harder."

Reach Travis Sawchik at tsawchik@postandcourier.com and check out his Clemson blog at www.postandcourier.om/blogs/tiger_tracks