The Toledo women's basketball team added two Ball State women's basketball assistants -- one current and one former -- to its coaching staff.
Duffy Burns left Ball State to become an assistant coach with the Rockets along with former Ball State assistant Stephanie White, who was hired by Toledo the same week.
Burns, a Ball State alumnus, had been an assistant with Ball State for the past two seasons. He served as the program's recruiting coordinator, and he was involved in scheduling, scouting and team development.
Burns could not be reached for comment.
Toledo head coach Mark Ehlen contacted Ball State head coach Tracy Roller on June 28 to ask for permission to speak with Burns about the job. Roller gave permission that night.
"By Wednesday morning, it was over," Roller said.
Ehlen begins his 11th season at Toledo this year. During his tenure, Toledo's program has a 118-34 record in Mid-American Conference play. Ehlen's winning percentage of .776 in league games is the highest in MAC history. Ehlen is 16-4 against Ball State.
Because Burn's wife works in Detroit, Roller thought Burns might leave to work in a closer location.
"I kind of knew that was going to happen if anything close opened up," Roller said.
Burns was head women's basketball coach at Cleveland State from 1995 through 2003. He coached the Vikings to a 103-122 record during his eight year stay there. His 103 wins rank second in the program's coaching history.
Roller hopes that the open position left by Burns can be filled by August, but she will not hurry the process to fill the position by then.
"I really want to make sure we hire right, so I'm not going to rush," Roller said.
White was hired the same week as Burns. White coached at Ball State during the 2003-04 season, when the team went 13-16. She was an assistant coach at Kansas State last season.
White is a former women's college basketball star. She won a national championship with Purdue and was awarded the Wade Trophy National Player of the Year in 1999.
White went on to play five years in the WNBA, four of which were with the Indiana Fever. Her last three seasons were hampered by injuries and she retired after the 2004 season.
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