Kelly Packard spent most of her 18th wedding anniversary in Worthen Arena on Monday meeting new faces and answering a barrage of questions.
If things go Packard and her husband Rich's way, this year's anniversary will not be the last spent together at Ball State University.
On Monday, Packard was announced as the 10th women's basketball head coach in Ball State history in a press conference in the Alumni Lounge at Worthen Arena. Packard replaces former coach Tracy Roller, who resigned April 2 due to a case of manic depression.
"This is a great place," said Packard, a 1990 graduate of Anderson University, where she left as the school's all-time leading scorer and rebounder. "When you can align healthy leadership and a great community, I've been given another great opportunity."
Packard is also a 2002 Anderson University Athletics Hall of Fame inductee.
The Ball State deal became official Monday when Packard signed a 5-year, $150,000 contract.
Ball State Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins said he made the decision to hire Packard last Wednesday after carefully evaluating 50 applicants for the job.
"I think it was [Packard's] resume; it was the diverse experience," Collins said regarding the positives he saw in hiring Packard. "We had great candidates in there that I think know Ball State women's basketball can be successful and has been successful in the past. So that led to a real deep and diverse pool."
Ball State President Jo Ann Gora said she was excited to bring Packard on board.
"I'm very enthusiastic about Kelly's leadership," Gora said. "I think she brings a unique set of credentials and will bring great leadership to the program. She is excited about the opportunity here and about the players she is going to be able to coach."
From college coaching to the professional ranks
Packard's experience comes primarily from five seasons as an assistant coach at Colorado State University and two seasons as head coach of the Colorado Chill, a professional women's basketball team of the National Women's Basketball League.
While Packard was at Colorado State from 1991-1993 and again from 1996-1999, the Rams accumulated a 99-49 overall record and made two NCAA tournament appearances. In the 1998-99 season, Colorado State advanced to the Sweet 16 en route to a 33-3 record and a Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division championship.
Packard said she looks forward to strengthening the Muncie area's relationship with her team, much the way her Rams squad meshed with the Fort Collins, Colo., community.
"When I got to Colorado State in '91, the program was probably below average from a Division I perspective," Packard said. "So I was able to sit inside this program and watch the things that it took to go from below average Division I to No. 4 in the nation, and it was a combination of things. Obviously, recruiting the right talent was a huge feat. The second piece was developing a fan base in the community. Atmosphere breeds success. And then the third piece was being able to put together a strategic community outreach."
Packard's coaching success did not end when she left Colorado State.
During her two-year career at the helm of the Colorado Chill from 2004-2006, Packard's teams accumulated a 34-12 record and won the NWBL championship both years.
"[Packard] was in a program at Colorado State when it got ranked in the top-five in the country," Collins said. "She's been in postseason play, won a game there in the NCAA, she won in the professional basketball league, and she was 4-0 and won the league championship. You can count on that experience factor."
"Very consistent personality"
Not typically one to get in the referee's face, Packard said she did not allow her temper to get the best of her.
"I'm a very consistent personality; I'm pretty consistent with my emotions," Packard said. "I can get really intense, but it doesn't erupt in emotion; it erupts in the directness of my verbal communication."
Packard also said she brought with her an up-tempo-style offense that relies more on fast play than a halfcourt plan -- much to the delight of two probable senior starters on the team next year, Porchia Green and Kiley Jarrett.
"I'm all for it," said Green, a 2007-08 First Team All-Mid-American Conference selection who averaged 13 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. "I like the fast-paced, up and down. I'd rather score quick than set up anything."
Jarrett, who averaged 8.7 points per game and shot a team-best 84.8-percent from the foul line, said her team ran into problems when it was forced to set up certain plays.
"I think [a fast-paced offense is] how our team really, really responds," she said. "I think it showed a lot this year when we were able to run in games, we didn't have much problem. [Packard's] style of game and philosophy is really going to be able to help us out."
Family woman
Packard spent the three years between her first and second stint at Colorado State helping raise her first son, Derek (now 13), and the four years before guiding the Chill to help raise her second son, Evan (now 9).
Packard said her passion for her family had paid dividends.
"You get one chance to parent children," Packard said. "When my kids were young, I stepped away on several occasions. When they are little people, they are needy -- they are manually needy; they are physically needy. I've got one shot at mothering, and I'm not going to mess it up -- I haven't yet."
WNIT connections
Packard also has spent time as a site coordinator and served on the selection committee for the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
The Cardinals have made three appearances all-time in the WNIT, with their last appearance in the 2006-07 season when Ball state lost 85-82 to the University of Kentucky in the second round.
When asked if Packard's hiring would mean more banners hanging in Worthen Arena, Gora was optimistic.
"That would be our goal," she said.
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