UConn Women’s Basketball coach Geno Auriemma is no stranger to success, having led his team to 11 national championships in his 35-year tenure. However, even he was in awe of the achievements of his former player, Shea Ralph, who is now the head coach of Vanderbilt Women’s Basketball team.
Just a month ago, Auriemma was on the verge of comparing Ralph to Curt Cignetti, the highly successful coach of the Indiana Hoosiers. “She’s not quite Curt Cignetti yet, but to go down there and do what she’s done in such a short period of time, I think, is really cool,” Auriemma had said about Ralph and her success at Vanderbilt.
Ralph, who played for Auriemma at UConn from 1996 to 2001, took over as the head coach at Vanderbilt in April 2020. Despite inheriting a team that had won just 9 games in the previous season, Ralph wasted no time in turning things around for the Commodores. In her first season as a head coach, she led Vanderbilt to a 16-14 record and a berth in the SEC Tournament.
But what makes Ralph’s success even more impressive is the fact that she did it in a “short period of time”, just like Auriemma had pointed out. In a recent interview, Auriemma revealed the secret behind Ralph’s quick rise to success – she didn’t over-coach.
Auriemma explained that as coaches, it’s easy to fall into the trap of constantly over-analyzing and over-teaching, and that can often do more harm than good. He believes that Ralph’s ability to trust her players and let them play with their instincts is what has made her successful in such a short time.
“Shea’s been a really good student of the game, and she’s got a great feel for the game. She’s got a great personality, so she gets her kids to play hard for her. And I think she’s learned a lot from being around me and our program, but she’s not trying to be us, she’s trying to be herself,” Auriemma said.
Ralph’s coaching philosophy is simple – trust your players, let them make mistakes, and then help them learn from those mistakes. She believes in empowering her players and giving them the freedom to play their natural game. This approach has not only resulted in her team’s success on the court, but it has also created a positive and enjoyable environment for her players.
This “we over-coach” mentality is something that Auriemma himself has been guilty of in the past. But through Ralph’s success, he has learned that sometimes, less is more. He admits that he has been inspired by her approach and has made a conscious effort to let his players play with more freedom and trust their instincts on the court.
It’s not just Auriemma who has taken notice of Ralph’s coaching style. Her players at Vanderbilt have also praised her for creating a positive and fun atmosphere while also pushing them to be their best. Sophomore Koi Love, who averaged a team-high 17.3 points per game last season, says that Ralph’s trust in her players has been crucial to their success.
“She’s a very open-minded person and she’s open to suggestions from us, she’s not just your coach. We all trust her so much and we trust each other when we’re out there,” Love said.
Ralph’s success at Vanderbilt in just one season is a testament to her coaching ability and the simple yet effective approach she takes with her team. She may not be Curt Cignetti yet, but she is well on her way to creating her own legacy as one of the top coaches in women’s college basketball.
As Auriemma said, “what Shea has done in such a short period of time is really cool” and it’s a reminder that sometimes, simplicity is the key to success. Ralph’s “we over-coach” philosophy is a valuable lesson not just for coaches, but for everyone, that sometimes, taking a step back and trusting in yourself and those around you can lead to great things.
