Scott Rueck is my pick for OSU women's sport coach of the year.
Picking an Oregon State women’s sports coach of the year this year was difficult for me, just like it was for the men’s coach.
There were some strong performances by teams that reflected good coaching. My pick eventually went to women’s basketball coach Scott Rueck.
Gymnastics coach Tanya Chaplin is always a candidate with the elite program she established, but finishing 12th in the nation is a down year for the Beavers.
Softball coach Kirk Walker did an impressive job turning around his program. The Beavers reached a regional and had a winning record for the first time since 2007.
However, it was a stunning job by Rueck, a second-year coach who accomplished more than anyone could have expected with a program that had to start over with only one returning player after players left in droves, which led to LaVonda Wagner being fired.
Rueck was impressive in his first year under the circumstances for the team to go 9-21. Then he went 20-13 with a 9-9 conference mark to tie for fifth place in the Pac-12.
The team then reached the Sweet 16 of the WNIT, and Rueck was named the Pac-12 media coach of the year.
OSU was picked to finish last in the conference this season. He had a 13-player squad that only had five players with Pac-12 experience.
Now that he’s going, more success should follow. Rueck appears to be making a mark on the recruiting trail. He’ll be able to put together top-notch athletes with his coaching savvy.
3 comments
dili says:
May 30, 2012
Coach Rueck clearly should be the unanimous selection not only for female sports Coach of the Year, but for the OSU Athletic Department “Person of the Year”. Scott has taken a program that was destroyed by Bob DeCarolis’ pick, Yolada Wagner (remember her, she is the one Bobby D. paid a million dollars too as a goodbye present after she had run all of the players off the team) and in two years has made it a contender in almost everty game. Scott is a fine, inspirational coach who is shockingly underpaid. His work ethic and methods should be emulated by our more high profile coaches such as Riley and Robinson. Scott and Coach Casey are head and shoulders better coaches than our football and basketball head coaches.
oneoldbeav says:
May 30, 2012
Well said, dili. While there seem to be reasons to hope that Riley will produce a better result this season it is noteworthy that he often speaks of “trying to find our identity” whereas Rueck and Casey are more likely to define the roles to be played by each individual on the squad and clearly state the objective.
Worth noting that both Rueck and Casey share a background at George Fox University which recently announced Casey’s brother as the guy to resurrect their FB program……..hmmmmmm.
wwjr says:
May 30, 2012
Absolute no brainer, as both OOB and DiLi have so eloquently stated. What Scott has done in 2 years starting with essentially nothing is absolutely stunning. Once again OOB, you have shown yourself to be the man ala Casey and Rueck(Cole and Tony would surely agree). BTW, dili was Aki Hill’s(our only winning woman’s coach so far, soon to be joined by Scott) attorney when Dutch forced her out so he knows just a bit about why we didn’t necessatily have to fire LaVomda without cause and give her all that money.
Lastly, would be interesting if one had a crystal ball and could see what the football team would accomplish if Riley had the attitude OOB describes(as regards to Scott and Pat) in his 1st paragraph. Just sayin’. Not calling for Riley’s head, just speculating.