Ole Miss Women's Basketball News Conference Transcript
Ole Miss Director of Athletics Pete Boone’s Opening Statement
“Good afternoon. I guess we all are aware of why we are here. As days are at Ole Miss, some days are filled with goodness and fun and excitement and some are filled with some sort of pain and anxiety and some are both. I think that’s where we are today. We are here to make a couple of announcements. The first one is our friend, co-worker and partner Carol Ross that has been here for the last four years giving more than anyone could ask for to resurrect the Ole Miss basketball program. It was almost four years ago this week, this month that Carol came in, weighed 185 pounds. (Laughter) And, she came to Ole Miss because she loved Ole Miss and because she wanted to see the basketball program get back to where it had been historically. She told me at the time that she would not have taken any other job other than this, and she did it because of Ole Miss. She has done a remarkable jobfour postseason tournaments, Elite Eightyou could not ask for a more successful run than she has given Ole Miss. It has taken its toll. She said yesterday also that she was a sprinter, and she knew this was a marathon race, but she was going to give it everything she had for as long as she could. I gave her a blank checkbook (Laughter) ... maybe she didn’t understand that, but I know one thing about Carol when she has her mind made up, just like she does her teams, when she knows the direction she wants to take it, when she knows the kind of excitement she demands from her players and execution from her coaches, then she’s not going to settle for anything less than that. So, when she makes her mind up, that’s what she’s going to do. So, I would like to bring Carol up forward, at the same time thanking her for an unbelievable four-year run for Ole Miss women’s basketball. Thank you very much for that, Carol.”
Former Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Coach Carol Ross
“As you probably can tell, or will be able to tell, today has been an emotional time. And if I don’t look that way (toward the players), I might have a chance to get through here, this moment. But, I came here as Pete said to pay back a school that had given me so much. I also wanted to resurrect a proud program and make it nationally prominent again. I feel like that with those two things in mind, I was able to do that and feel complete about my decision. A lot of times you come with the mindset that you came to give, but as is the case many times, I know I’ve taken more away from my four years here than I ever gave. I really appreciate a unique opportunity. Most coaches don’t get to go home and coach their alma mater. And, if they do, it certainly doesn’t always turn out to be as wonderful a four years as this has been. Having said all of that, the reason I coachthey sit right here. That’s why you wake up, that’s why you work as hard as you do, it’s always been about the players. That’s what makes it hard. I would like to thank Pete in particular. I told him that I was going to come in here and tell everybody he fired me. (Laughter) He gave me an opportunity, and he trusted me. I will forever be grateful to him for that opportunity. As is the case in most great universities, there are so many wonderful people that make up Ole Miss. In this case, the uniqueness of my experience, being able to work with people that some of whom were here when I played. To be able to work alongside my teammateswhat an awesome and unique experience. When I came into this job, it was so easy because I had Renee, I had Peggie. I knew I had family and friends surrounding me. And, I knew it really wasn’t going to be about me, it was going to be about us. It has been always about us. The depth and the pride of the Ole Miss women’s basketball family is alive and well. There is no greater thing for me than to have been a part of it. As I talked to Armintie [Price] and [Ashley] Awkward and Jada [Mincy] today, I said, Well, I’m like y’all now, I’m just a former player that can now come back and find other ways to give back.’ You don’t have to be the head coach to make a difference. If you love Ole Miss and you love women’s basketball, then we all have a responsibility. And, now, mine’s shift to a different scenario, but certainly one that is no less important. Our responsibility to these young women, it never ends. I take that seriously, and I challenged all of the former players to do that. It has been a great experience, and it will certainly be one that will take me a long way as I move through my journey. I don’t have a destination in mind, which makes it all the more exciting for me. I look forward to whatever endeavors I might experience in the next few years. I’ve been around basketball too long to do much else, but I know there are a lot of different ways to impact the game of basketball without standing on the sidelines screaming and most of the time I played a little bit too. But, there are other ways, and I also feel the same way about Ole Miss. I can impact Ole Miss in another capacity in some way--if nothing else, other than shaking a red and blue pom-pom and going Hotty Toddy. This has been a great moment. It’s always sad to close one door, but every time a door closes, a new one opens. It’s not only opening for me, but it’s opening for another fine Lady Rebel. I just want to take the time to thank Peggie in particular who was very impactful in my decision to come back. It has been great having her as my friendgood thing that doesn’t end. Jocelyn McGilberry, who I had the chance to coach and recruit when she was at Auburn, and now to be able to work with her was a great honor as well. Then, like most things at Ole Miss and with the Rosses, it’s all about family. Ginny(Sosebee), who has been my best friend since the day I was born, she came in and really helped me in a capacity that I felt like I needed. I was spoiled in Basketball Operations because at Florida I had a wonderful young woman by the name of Margie Gill that ran my operations department and as Ginny wore downwe should have had a press conference for GinnyMargie was able to come back, so she passed the torch to Margie and great things continued to happen there. Anytime something really good happens in any program it’s because of a lot of people. Head coaches get way too much credit. It is always about these young women that go out there and play every day. I hope, if nothing else, that we never lose sight of the fact that we’re all here in some capacity because of them and that we always understand that. It’s been great and I appreciate again the opportunity. Thank you.”
Ole Miss Director of Athletics Pete Boone
“Thanks Carol. Well, when Carol called me last week and wanted to meet, I didn’t know but I felt like this might be on the agenda. Especially when I asked her when we were in Dayton, I said Haven’t you lost a little weight?’ She said, Yeah.’ I said, Well, when do you get nervous and tense with all of these gameswhen does that kick in, the SEC?’ She said, No, the first day of practice.’ I told my wife that that’s not healthy. Really, I’ve been thinking about this possibility for several weeks. So, it’s not like it was a total surprise. It was one that I thought hopefully that she might come in and say I’m out of here in a year or two.’ But, no, she just stopped with I’m out of here.’ Lynnette (Johnson) and I had been talking in case this happened. What would we do? So, we posed the question to Carol. We wanted to know her suggestions and her recommendations. I can’t imagine a better source of information than Carol Ross. As a matter of fact, I think I was calling her and asking her about people. We were able to pull on her heart strings to get her to come here the first time, because she is a super basketball coach. She knows a lot of people and a lot of people know her. She has contacts everywhere. So, it was very important for us, for Lynnette and I to hear what her recommendations were. Like any good leader, she had one. She had one because she knew it was going to be important for Ole Miss to continue doing the things successfully that it had been doing the last four years. She recommended Renee Ladner. Renee is here with her husband Ed and [daughter] Jennifer. [Her other daughter] Allison could not be here. We are happy to have the family here and Carol is right, it’s about family at Ole Miss. She went through the litany of reasons why Renee would be a great selection. In that conversation, she talked about the team that had been developed here and that’s with Peggie, Jocelyn and Renee. She talked about how this works so well because of the strengths of each of those coaches. She had talked with each of them and talked about possibilities of what could happen here. Carol wholeheartedly recommended Renee and she gave me a lot of wonderful reasons that I’m sure you’ll ask about later on in the Q&A. Coming from who it came from and the fact that Lynnette and I had already been contemplating some possibilities, we got Renee in right after that and talked with her for about an hour and talked to her about being a head coach. As you all know, there’s a lot of difference between being an assistant and a head, being No. 1 and No. 2. It’s a world of difference. Those are the things that sometimes make a difference in success and failure. You can have a lot of talents and a lot of abilities, but being able to handle a leadership role is something that is unique. We were very impressed with Renee. Her poise, her aggressiveness, her question-asking herself. Then, we spent the rest of the afternoon talking about options and where did we need to go. It became very clear to us that Renee was the next person that needed to be the head coach of the Lady Rebels. We talked with her this morning at around 7 and we had not discussed a lot. She didn’t want to talk about money yet. We will discuss terms and conditions later. She is our new head women’s basketball coach. We are extremely excited. We think we have the best fit with Renee and Peggie and Jocelyn leading this team forward. I’d like to introduce Renee Ladner.
New Ole Miss Women’s Basketball Coach Renee Ladner
Wow. It is such an honor to be standing before you today. I’m very grateful for this opportunity. I appreciate the Chancellor’s confidence, Pete Boone, Lynnette Johnson, and most importantly the confidence that Carol Ross has shown in me. I’m very fortunate to be here today. Had it not been for Carol Ross, I wouldn’t be here. I worked a basketball camp for her one day in Gainesville, Fla., and she plucked me out of the high school ranks and decided that this is where I needed to be. I am just most fortunate, because if you wanted a mentor, a teacher, a friend, a teammate, she has been all of the above. When she made the phone call to bring Peggie and I back to Ole Miss, she was very clear about what she wanted here. Carol is a visionary. And if you just listen, she can lead you. That’s what she did every day. When she told me that she was going to leave, I didn’t really want the job in particular at that point and time because I really didn’t want Carol to leave. I had mixed emotions. It has been a bittersweet day for me. I am excited and elated about being the head coach at Ole Miss. I am excited about coaching those 12 young women right there. I am excited about the two signees that are coming in the door. But, I am sad that we are closing a chapter on some one that I’ve been so close to and respected so much for six years. Through it all, I have gained valuable experience. I will continue to learn and try to keep this program where it’s at. Carol set the foundation. She’s an incredible person. She has taken us on an incredible ride, an incredible journey. And, I know the players that are here today and the two signees, none of them want to see that end. What she has instilled in me and what she has given to us can never be taken away. She’s like E.F. Hutton, when Carol speaks, you listen. You may not always agree with what she says, but you reel it back in. I told her there were times when I would tell her, you know, I really don’t like you today, but I love you and I respect you and I respect your opinion and I know that you know how to get it done.’ In saying that, I am just grateful for the opportunity and I can’t begin to thank her enough for the opportunity to help lead this program. The most important thing that I probably need to say today is I have a family who has supported me tremendously. You know, I came in and told my husbandwe were like The Beverly Hillbilliescame in that day and I said, listen, Carol’s called, we’re moving to Florida, get the truck, pack your bags, and we’re gone.’ And, we left just like that. He never even saw the house that he was going to sit in. He trusted that we were doing the right thing, we loaded up the truck and moved to Gainesville, Fla., and we’ve never looked back. My family made adjustments, my kids have had to make sacrifices and all of those have worked for the best. I have a daughter who graduated from Ole Miss in 2005. She always wanted to be an Ole Miss graduate. My youngest daughter will graduate from Ole Miss some time in the near future, we won’t discuss when, where and how. The other thing that Carol has left us with is a super foundation. It can continue to build. I got to see her build this from the ground up. She did it with class. She did it with style. She did it with dignity. If I can be half as good as Carol Ross has been, then we are going to succeed. Again, one of the most important things that she taught me along the way is that it’s about those kids. It’s about those players. Being a parent, I can appreciate that. So, that’s what it’s about and that’s what we’re going to continue to do. I would not mess with success. Carol set us on a path, and we are going to continue to follow it. I could not do this without Peggie Gillom-Granderson, Jay McGilberry because those two people, we have been so connected. Everybody kept telling me that there’s a big difference in being the head coach and being an assistant, well I guess we’re going to all find that out together. I have their support. They have my back and I have theirs. I love and appreciate them for that as well as the staff that we have together. Also, we have a very good hot bed of players in the state of Mississippi that we are going to hold on to. We want to get them up here, we want to keep them in the state of Mississippi and in particular at Ole Miss. I feel very fortunate. I’m grateful and I’m thankful for this opportunity.
Q&A
CAROL ROSS
Q: Does the sprinter/marathon analogy that Pete gave is that why you stood up there, but never really told us why you are leaving?
A: If you had been at Florida, you would have heard the same press conference. My personality is such that I don’t tread lightly. I knock doors down, I stomp, I yell, I scream, I am intense and I am passionate. I don’t know if in today’s society you are going to coach in the same place anymore. I am a restless soul. I love new adventures and doing new things. I’ve told Armintie (Price) many times I can’t wait for her to spread her wings and fly, because I know she’s going to go to great places. That’s how I think. Because I’ve got such a great foundation in Oakland, Miss., with great parents I have the stability and the confidence to not get too comfortable in one place. I love to venture. I am secure and not scared to go into the unknown. I came here with two things in mind to make this program proud again and to give back. I felt like I had done that. It’s a never-ending quest to give back, and I’ll never stop trying to give back. I hope I can continue to impact this program in some way, but I don’t know that I want to give my life to that. I learned when I left Florida that the truth is not good enough for most people. What you say is not what people are going to think. We live in a society of wanting more. They can’t accept things at face value. Anybody who has been around me knows that the truth is all you’re going to get and you’re going to get it bluntly and sometimes with not a lot of frosting on top. I’ve accomplished my mission. These young women deserve to be coached with same energy and intensity and passion that they were coached with this year. I wouldn’t let them give me less than their best, so I am not going to look at them and ask them to do something that I can’t or won’t do.
Q: When did you begin to feel like this was the time to let it go?
A: I decided going into this season that I was going to coach as if it was my last. I didn’t matter if it was practice or a game. I didn’t know that it would be my last, but I knew that if it was, I would have no regrets. And if it wasn’t, then I would line up and do it again next year. When the season was over, I felt a sense of peace. I wanted to talk it over with my family and my coaches. I wanted to make sure that I wasn’t just tired. I did, and I still kept coming back to the same place. We are in a profession to where if you are good at it, we’re supposed to do this until we can’t move anymore. If you are good, you’re supposed to coach into the twilight. If you are not good, then an AD is going to send you out. We don’t usually get the choice, but I am true Rebel. I do want I want to when I want to. I never planned to give my life to basketball even though it’s taken a good chunk of it. It’s been great to me. I love being a part of it. I will never be able to repay. I would like to think there is more. I’ve been in a gym since I was eight years old. Since the time I played, I was pretty good. When you are good, you become a leader. I’ve always been in a leadership capacity. I never searched for that, but it always happened. I think it’s a good time to pass the torch. I really didn’t come to Pete to tell him who I thought we should hire. I came to him to on behalf of this program. We had long decided our side of the street what should happen next. I met with Renee, Peggie and J many times, before I ever walked across the street to have my meeting with Pete. We were in a consensus that this is what should happen. It’s just a good time. My job has always been to be the caretaker as a head coach. Now it’s Renee’s turn to be the caretaker. It doesn’t diminish that Peggie is a caretaker. We all have responsibilities to this program. We always will, because we will always share that bond that these young have. With me it’s never one answer. I am a complex person, and there a lot of reasons I do things.
RENEE LADNER
Q: How did being a head coach at a high school program help you get where you are today?
A: Fortunately I had the opportunity to build a program. Anytime you have the opportunity to build something, you know the inner-workings of it. Being there and then being with Carol, those two things correlate. I believe the experience of being a head coach 10 years and winning a state championship will help me tremendously. I am going to say it again - the greatest teacher (Carol Ross) that I’ve ever had is standing behind me, where she will continue to be. She’ll be throwing things at me out of the stands. She told me that she would send me little notes down to the bench, and I am going to send them back up to her.
CAROL ROSS
Q: Why did you recommend her (Ladner) so highly?
A: Renee was on my staff at Florida and has been here four years. She’s always had head-coaching capabilities. When she came out of college, she married big Ed right here. She had two fine daughters and went into the high school ranks. I was single. I had every opportunity to go and come as I pleased. She was very comfortable being a great assistant. Peggie had been an assistant coach, J had been an interim head coach, but Renee was the one that had not. She was the one that really had the opportunity. It’s her turn. To be a great coach, you have to be competitive to be good in our league. The SEC is not for the timid or the meek. You have to love competition. It has to stir your soul. You can’t be afraid of it. It can’t intimidate you. Renee is a fierce competitor. She always has been. I can remember playing pick-up basketball with her. You wanted her on your team so she wouldn’t be you up. She has not changed much as a coach. She is feisty and fiery and she’s a great competitor. Second, you have to be competent. You have to know your stuff. She’s a student of the game. She works hard to understand the game and learn new things about the game. She’s an outstanding teacher. She can go on the floor and teach and coach in ways that are very necessary to develop young women into great basketball players. She’s a great communicator. She will be able to communicate well with her staff, with the administration, with the players, with recruits. Those three things are so important, and she has those. I’ve been in the SEC all my life. I’ve seen people come and go, I’ve seen people have great success, and I’ve seen people fail. As I’ve observed people in our league, sometimes those qualities are missing, but with Renee there is nothing missing. She just needed an opportunity, and now she’s got it. With her in that locker room I feel very confident. Ole Miss is a flagship program in this state, and that’s not going to change.
RENEE LADNER
Q: How many years were you the head coach at St. John High School?
A: 10
CAROL ROSS
Q: Did you talk to Coach (Van) Chancellor at all about this decision?
A: Are you kidding, he’s an LSU guy. I’ve never called anybody at LSU for advice. No
PETE BOONE
Q: Talk about some of the reasons you decided to go with Coach Ladner.
A: When Carol Ross speaks about collegiate basketball, you really need to listen. She’s done all the things that make one successful, not just in wins and losses, but in raising money and having vision and setting a direction. It’s really a unique situation. She’s been in two situations where she has to build a program back up both at Florida and at Ole Miss. That’s not an easy thing to do, but it does require great intensity and leadership skills. It does require a vision. When she started talking to me and Lynnette about how this program could go forward, we listened intently. The things that she said made absolute sense. I didn’t have to ask her too many questions. It was a bottle that was full or reason and it made sense.
Q: Did you try to talk her out of it?
A: One of the things I know about Carol, is that she doesn’t make decisions in a vacuum. She doesn’t make them lightly. But when she makes them, they’re made. Knowing that there was no second-guessing, then I thought my job at that point and time was to ask about the program going forward.
RENEE LADNER
Q: Any thoughts on filling this position?
A: One thing I do know is that they are tremendous shoes to fill. We go from a 5 to a 10. So I have big shoes to fill. What she has done for this program is immeasurable on the court and off the court. As I said earlier, you don’t mess with success. I had an incredible opportunity to learn from who I believe is one of the best coaches in the nation and one of the best people that you could ever surround yourself with. A lot the things she said along the way, we are going to continue to build on. We are not going to veer much from what she’s already done and what’s she already put in. It’ll have my own personality. She’s more private, I am more public. I am probably more outspoken. The kids and the staff will have to adjust to a new side. Pete and Lynnette have done a good job in pointing out a lot of things that need to be done in that regard. I’ve learned from the best, and I will continue to grow and use those things.
