Linda Hargrove eases the transition for Wichita State’s women’s team

Linda Hargrove hasn’t coached in 15 years, but she couldn’t mistake the melancholy mood the first time she met with the Wichita State women’s basketball team.

“Some of them were confused, some of them were sad, but they were all stressed,” Hargrove said. “It’s been a very stressful situation for everyone involved. I don’t think anybody won in that situation.”

Hargrove, who coached WSU from 1989-98, has always prided herself on her ability to tap into what motivates a team and its individuals, but this might be her most difficult venture yet. She went from watching the Shockers in the stands one game to coaching them the next, being chosen by athletic director Darron Boatright to finish out the season after Wichita State and former coach Jody Adams-Birch agreed to part ways on Jan. 22.

She did not return to Wichita State to restore the program to her old ways. She did not return to revamp the Xs and Os. And she did not return to be the long-term answer.

She returned to make the best out of a bad situation. WSU plays host to Missouri State on Sunday.

“The big thing we’re working on right now is getting everyone to think team-first,” said Hargrove after almost two weeks on the job. “We’re trying to get everyone on the same page pulling for each other and trying to insert a lot of positive reinforcement and get things on a more positive, upbeat feel for the players.”

The hiring of Hargrove, a temporary coach, could be considered a band-aid until Boatright can conduct a proper search and hire a new coach.

In the adversity, Wichita State has played its best. The Shockers won their final game with Adams-Birch coaching on Jan. 15, then the next two with assistant Kirk Crawford taking the lead after Adams-Birch was suspended, then they won their first two games under Hargrove last weekend.

The five-game winning streak has revitalized what looked like a second straight losing season for Wichita State (10-10, 5-4 MVC).

“We’re one of the most talented teams in the conference and we have so much potential, it would be a shame if we didn’t use our talents and our athleticism to the best of our abilities,” junior Rangie Bessard said. “Some people might not be expecting much from us now, but when we play together, we are a great team.”

“We’re definitely on an upward trajectory,” Hargrove said. “I think the players are feeling more empowered and a little more positive about the direction the team is moving right now.”

At the initial meeting, staring out at a group of confused college players, Hargrove knew that the team needed stability.

Having Crawford, Bridgette Gordon, and Kaci Bailey remain on staff as assistants helped ease the transition, as did Hargrove’s insistence on keeping a similar practice structure.

“I knew it would be for me personally easier if I revamped everything and put in the things that I really felt comfortable coaching,” Hargrove said. “But I knew it wasn’t the best thing for them.”

Crawford, Gordon, and Bailey lead many of the drills in practice now with Hargrove only interjecting when she sees something to address. It seems inconsequential, but the players appreciate the fact Hargrove didn’t try to come in and overthrow their system.

“You have to get to know a person before you can really judge them and I don’t think anyone on my team judged her coming in,” senior TaQuandra Mike said. “I don’t think it was weird at all. Once we got to know her one-on-one, then we treated her as family from Day 1.”

Some players knew Hargrove from last season, as Adams-Birch had asked her to talk to players about potential professional careers. Players who did an Internet search of Hargrove and discovered their new coach had experience at the WNBA level and coached on the 1992 U.S. Olympic team.

“When you find out you have a coach like that, you’re just like in awe,” Bessard said. “Some of the things that come out of her mouth are probably things she’s said to a thousand pros.”

Hargrove has coached at every level of the women’s game, but she has never been in a situation like this one. What she’s trying to accomplish in her short time with the team is a monumental challenge and not one that she said she necessarily likes.

“I think a month after the season is over and I look back, I’ll probably appreciate and reflect on all of this differently than I do right now when I’m in the middle of it,” she said with a laugh.

But that’s the state of the Wichita State women’s basketball program right now.

“Anytime you face adversity, you can go one of two ways,” Hargrove said. “I don’t think anyone here feels like they’re ready to give up. I think we’re looking to take this as high as we can take it and have the best possible outcome we can. We haven’t written this season off at all.”

This story was originally published February 4, 2017 at 4:35 PM with the headline "Linda Hargrove eases the transition for Wichita State’s women’s team."