UCLA hires 73-year old Sue Muldowney as head women's coach
"It all happened so fast," said Muldowney at her new digs at Pauly Pavillion. "But it's very good to be back in LA," said the one-time USC coach who is now in her second act as a college coach after eight years off spread between politics and other pursuits.
UCLA decided after the retirement of long-time head coach Chloe Rogers that they wanted to opt for experience. In the end, they made the call to the one coach with more experience than anyone else.
"We're glad she's here and we're looking forward to her help in finally raising a banner here at UCLA," said athletic director Marilyn Sheppard, a graduate of Nebraska when Muldowney came there and led that school to their only national championship.
"It was in the back of my mind. But I wasn't certain she wanted to leave where she was," said Sheppard.
"I talked it over with my son. He said that he wanted to see me do it. That he thought we made a lot of progress even though the record didn't reflect that [at Texas A&M-CC] but that he hoped to see me reach the mountaintop. I wasn't so sure. But in the end, we're gonna give it one last climb up the mountain and see what happens."
She takes over a UCLA club that lost in last year's Elite Eight and is three years removed from back to back Final Four appearances. She joins a former player and assistant coach in Aiyana Taylor, who took over for her at USC and remains there.
"I have to say that it's going to be fun beating UCLA, but not as fun beating Coach. I've never had to play her before and I'm not especially excited about doing it. But she wouldn't want me to say that. And now that she's coaching in my conference, I can't call and ask for advice anymore," said Taylor, laughing when asked about her mentor and friend.
Taylor has not been able to win a national title herself, but still has one of the best win percentages of any coach in the country still active.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi made an unorthodox move hiring 23-year old Lilah Salvador. She spent last season as a graduate assistant, but spent four years with the program and is 3rd all-time in points. The move was pretty much called for by all of the current players and heavily endorsed by Muldowney herself.
"She's ready. It's going to be a new thing for her and she'll have to get her feet wet. But she watched me for years and I feel like of all of my former players, it's possible that she's the best one to ever decide to coach. I'm excited to see what they do," said Muldowney.
So with that, UCLA gets a new coach. Whether this marriage will work or not, is anyone's guess. But with the clock ticking on a career, one has to think this is the final stop in a Hall of Fame career without parallel.