2008 Woodie Awards
Players speak out about coach's 'resignation'
Patrick Swafford
Issue date: 3/17/06 Section: Sports
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Jacksonville State's women's basketball coach Dave Dagostino resigned on March 7 after posting an 11-17 record in 2006, the first losing season in the Dagostino era.
In a year that saw the Gamecocks lose three seniors for part or all of the season, JSU managed to win 9 of their last 14 to earn the seventh seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, where they fell to Samford, 58-56.
In Dagostino's three years as head coach, the Gamecocks were 1-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Despite the losing season, the announcement was met with surprise and shock from the players.
"When I first found out about it, I cried," said Christina Gordon, a redshirt freshman. "I feel that what happens from here on out is going to be OK, but at the same time, when you spend that much time with your team and your coach, you become like a family."
For the majority of the team, Dagostino was at least part of the reason they decided to call Jacksonville State home.
Katja Fuess, a senior from Mission, British Columbia, is one of six players from outside of the United States who were recruited by Dagostino, either as an assistant to Dana Austin, or during his time as head coach.
"He is the reason I came here," Fuess said. "Alabama is almost as far away from home as I could have gone. I've never had any family members at my games. I've never had any friends at my games. I didn't get that opportunity being so far from home. In order for someone to go that far from home, all the Australians, Ann-Marie [Healy] coming from Ireland, you have to trust and love and have faith in someone you don't know. With Dave, I had that trust and faith in him."
It is safe to say that any college coach that loses that many games to start the season will be in jeopardy of losing their job.
The Gamecocks lost senior guard Cobie Carlisle for the season with a knee injury during the first game of the season against Utah Valley State. From there, JSU went on to lose 12 of their next 13.
"It's like, in the back of my mind, it's all my fault. That's just how I feel," Carlisle said. "If I would have played, we might not have lost nine in a row, we might not have started in the conference 0-7, and I might have hit the little two points to make us beat Samford."
The Jacksonville State Athletic Department is currently searching for a new head coach, but the members of the basketball team have requested that assistant coach Marcus Reilly be promoted.
In a year that saw the Gamecocks lose three seniors for part or all of the season, JSU managed to win 9 of their last 14 to earn the seventh seed in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, where they fell to Samford, 58-56.
In Dagostino's three years as head coach, the Gamecocks were 1-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.
Despite the losing season, the announcement was met with surprise and shock from the players.
"When I first found out about it, I cried," said Christina Gordon, a redshirt freshman. "I feel that what happens from here on out is going to be OK, but at the same time, when you spend that much time with your team and your coach, you become like a family."
For the majority of the team, Dagostino was at least part of the reason they decided to call Jacksonville State home.
Katja Fuess, a senior from Mission, British Columbia, is one of six players from outside of the United States who were recruited by Dagostino, either as an assistant to Dana Austin, or during his time as head coach.
"He is the reason I came here," Fuess said. "Alabama is almost as far away from home as I could have gone. I've never had any family members at my games. I've never had any friends at my games. I didn't get that opportunity being so far from home. In order for someone to go that far from home, all the Australians, Ann-Marie [Healy] coming from Ireland, you have to trust and love and have faith in someone you don't know. With Dave, I had that trust and faith in him."
It is safe to say that any college coach that loses that many games to start the season will be in jeopardy of losing their job.
The Gamecocks lost senior guard Cobie Carlisle for the season with a knee injury during the first game of the season against Utah Valley State. From there, JSU went on to lose 12 of their next 13.
"It's like, in the back of my mind, it's all my fault. That's just how I feel," Carlisle said. "If I would have played, we might not have lost nine in a row, we might not have started in the conference 0-7, and I might have hit the little two points to make us beat Samford."
The Jacksonville State Athletic Department is currently searching for a new head coach, but the members of the basketball team have requested that assistant coach Marcus Reilly be promoted.