Just when Indiana University tried to take the spotlight for coaching controversies in basketball, Ball State University has roared back.
While Indiana is dealing with the post-Sampson dilemmas, Ball State now must deal with the unexpected yet not overly surprising departure of Tracy Roller, the most successful coach in women's basketball history for this university.
As Cardinal fans know by now Roller stepped down last week as head coach due not to health issues but the ever vague mental issues. Her resignation raises many problems.
First and most pressing is who should be the next coach. Lisa McDonald, who served as head coach in Roller's absence for most of the season, is the obvious first candidate for the job. The players have given their endorsement but what team doesn't have players who want the top assistant to be the replacement after a popular coach leaves. Ball State Athletics Director Tom Collins now has the task of deciding if McDonald is worthy of the job.
There's little doubt the Cardinals' inconsistent play and early exit for the Mid-American Conference Tournament will cause a good deal of hesitation. Collins must decide if this season's short comings are because of McDonald's coaching ability or because Roller was unexpectedly gone for most of the season, causing the team to be distracted.
Collins must put aside what the players want and do what is best for the program. He should treat the opening as he would any coaching vacancy. Allow candidates to apply and interview the best ones. McDonald should get no special treatment.
Hiring McDonald may make next year's team happy but what about the year after that and farther down the road. The decision has to be made for the future not the present. You don't hire a coach for one or two seasons.
McDonald is the easy, safe choice but Collins wasn't hired to do what is easy. Hiring someone other than McDonald will bring out the hounds once again toward Collins but if it is the right move to make he must make it and not worry about the people who will once again call for his job.
Another problem caused by Roller's departure is the mystery surrounding why she quit. She held fast to a case of mononucleosis causing her to be MIA all season. However, the idea of mono keeping her out lost its validity a long time ago.
Last week Roller said the full reason for her resignation is a private matter. That is understandable. People have a right to privacy. The problem is she held a very public position. Accepting a head coaching job at a school as big as Ball State means you are giving up a good deal of your privacy.
Fans who have supported her program for seven years deserve to know why the coach who started it all has quit.
No one can blame her for wanting to keep her privacy and there's nothing wrong with that decision but she must understand not every fan will be content with mental issues being the reason. What does that even mean?
Mental issues could be any number of things. That's the problem with this whole mess. No one really knows why all they can do is speculate. The worst part of it is when people remember her they won't just remember she had the most wins in program history they'll also remember the mystery surrounding her departure.
Her legacy is forever tainted.
Write to Levin at ltblack@bsu.edu/a>
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