The Ball State women's basketball team didn't have to go far tofind a replacement for departing assistant coach StephanieWhite.
Jeanette Gray, who served as a volunteer assistant coach lastseason, was announced as the replacement on Tuesday. The tiesbetween Gray and head coach Tracy Roller began almost seven yearsago when Roller was an assistant at Valparaiso University.
Gray was a standout at Valparaiso High School and sought afterby many colleges, but it was Roller who convinced Gray thatValparaiso was the place for her.
"She started recruiting me and kind of opened my eyes as to,that's the place for me," Gray said.
Gray signed with Valparaiso, but Roller received an opporturnityto join Brenda Oldfield's staff at Ball State and never had theopportunity to coach Gray.
"Although I never got to coach her I think I really got to knowher well through the recruiting process," Roller said.
Roller continued to follow her throughout her career and evencoached against her twice, once in the Hoosier State Classic andonce in the WNIT. Ball State lost both contests to Valparaiso.
Gray said every time she had to make big decisions, Roller wasinvolved.
"I think every coach wants to have an ex-player or someone thatthey have some sort of connection with," Roller said. "I don'tthink I'm really to the point in my career where I can have aplayer who played under me and then comes back and coaches.
"Jeanette was kind of the closest thing to that."
Gray ended up at Ball State after Roller helped get her agraduate assistantship in the Miller College of Business. She wasthen able to work with the team as a volunteer while she pursued amaster's degree in business administration.
"She got to show in person what kind of a work ethic she had andwhat kind of an assistant she could be and didn't get paid a dime,"Roller said.
Unlike last season, Gray will now get to work one-on-one withthe players. She and assistant coach Duffy Burns will work with thepost players. Roller said that the post position will be the key tothe team's success next season.
"I'm looking forward to working with the kids and seeing thekids get better and winning definitely," Gray said.
Winning was something Gray was able to do well at Valparaiso.During her senior season Gray led the team to its first-everMid-Continent Tournament Championship and its first trip to theNCAA Tournament. As a four-year letterwinner and three-year captainshe also helped lead Valparaiso to the elite eight in the WNITduring her junior season.
Gray was named to the All-Mid-Continent First-Team during hersenior season and was a Verizon All-District V Academic Team memberin 2002 and 2003.
It was during her freshman year at Valparaiso that Gray firstthought about coaching.
"I kind of feel in love with the travel and just the game," Graysaid. "I've always been in love with the game, but just how it'splayed at the college level, everything that goes into it I reallyenjoyed."
Roller said it was huge that the program was able to stayin-house when replacing Stephanie White.
"It works out great for all of us," Roller said. "Jeanette isused to us, we're used to her, the kids love her and sheunderstands the system and our philosophies about recruiting.
"It was sad to lose Stephanie," Roller said. "It was a situationthat you don't want to happen but if it has to happen this isprobably the best scenario to get it as close to back to where itwas before."
White spent one year with the Cardinals before being offered ajob by the Big 12 Champion Kansas State Wildcats. White was anIndiana High School and Purdue University standout. She led Purdueto its first NCAA Championship in 1999 and also received the WadeTrophy that year, given to the player of the year in the NCAA.
Currently White plays for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, whichwas going to limit her capabilities with the program. White wouldhave missed much of the recruiting process because of herschedule.
"Although it's an advantage to have a WNBA player on your staffit does put a strain on your staff," Roller said.
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