Column: An extension of losses

It’s a pity when good things go bad. Usually, there is a cause for the turn, but what happens when good just goes bad for no reason?

Apparently, for the women’s basketball program, nothing.

The Hoosiers are 6-23 and won their sole conference game Senior Night.

After a completely dismal season, it appears nothing will change. The reason for this is a contract extension that was given to IU Coach Felisha Legette-Jack in July this past year.

This was Legette-Jack’s sixth season as a Hoosier, and the 2012-13 season was supposed to be her last, but Athletic Director Fred Glass extended her contract with an additional two years through the 2014-15 season.

It wasn’t always this bad.

Actually, the first half of Legette-Jack’s career here was pretty good. She had three straight seasons with Women’s National Invitational Tournament berths, and two of those seasons also came with winning Big Ten Conference records.

After that, it was all downhill.

The women’s basketball team has not had a winning season since the last
WNIT berth.

The 2009-10 team finished 14-16, the 2010-11 team went 9-20 and this season’s team has a 6-23 record. Something is wrong with that.

As a coach stays at a school longer, the team is supposed to get better, not worse.

The coach is supposed to be able to solidify her recruiting process and coach her own players for four full years.

Three straight WNIT appearances should not turn into three dismal seasons.

Anyone who knows Legette-Jack or has heard her speak about her teams knows she stresses more than just winning.

She wants her players to grow, develop and become contributing members of the community, but what’s wrong with winning while doing that?

The excuses just aren’t good enough anymore.

This past season, the Hoosiers were down an injured then-junior Sasha Chaplin, and then-junior Lindsay Enterline left the program.

Yes, this hurt them, but season leadership should have been able to help.

This season, I’ve heard rumblings about it being a young team.

I have to strongly disagree with that statement. There are two seniors playing in every game, three if you count Chaplin, and leadership from junior Aulani Sinclair and other juniors.

This is not a young team, and this is not a young coaching staff.

Change is needed.

In the final home game press conference, Legette-Jack thanked the media for not being too negative about the team or the season, but now that it’s coming to an end, something needs to be said.

With the decline in play from Legette-Jack’s team, a contract extension should have never been given until after this season was done.

If Glass had possessed the hindsight of this season, I’d hope he would not make the offer again.

Coaches are supposed to get better, not worse. Staffs are supposed to gel, and players are supposed to get better within the program they have played in for four years.

None of these things are happening.

This year could have been the last year for Legette-Jack at IU, but it probably won’t be.

If there is one thing Glass stresses, it is the importance of contracts.

In this case, maybe the record should speak louder than words on paper.