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K-Mac's extension, Part II

Posted May 6, 2008

Colorado athletic director Mike Bohn must feel as if he can’t win when it comes to the contract extension of his women’s basketball coach.



Kathy McConnell-Miller is expected to receive a two-year contract extension either this month or next month. She just finished the third year of a five-year deal.



McConnell-Miller is 14-34 in Big 12 games, including a disappointing 5-11 this season.



So if Bohn grants McConnell-Miller an extension, which he is expected to do, then he draws criticism for showing support to a coach without a track record of success.



But if he doesn’t give her an extension, McConnell-Miller will struggle to recruit, and Bohn would be criticized for not supporting his coach in her ability to attract the best recruits.



If McConnell-Miller didn’t receive an extension, other coaches could recruit against CU — telling recruits that McConnell-Miller may not be around at CU when they arrive in Boulder to play for the Buffs because she doesn’t have the security of a contract that will keep her here beyond 2010.



Bohn wants the program to continue rebuilding so he doesn’t want to hurt his coach’s ability to recruit.



And no time is more critical to the future of women’s basketball at Colorado than this summer’s AAU season.



The 2009 graduating class in Colorado is expected to be one of the strongest ever, in terms of depth.



McConnell-Miller has already lost out on one recruit. Regis’ Mary Bokenkamp has already committed to Texas Tech.



But there’s plenty more talented players out there.



The Buffs definitely want Broomfield center Anna Prins, who checks in around 6-foot-6. Broomfield athletic forward Chaundra Sewell is also high on CU’s list.



Colorado is in dire need of a point guard and Regis’ Mariah Williams could be the answer. The 5-foot-6 point guard is rated a four-star recruit by hoopgurlz.



3-star recruit Rachel Messer from ThunderRidge is another top-notch guard and 2-star recruit Meagan Fulps is another guard out of Highlands Ranch that will be among the top players in 2009.



Then there’s Boulder’s own Meagan and Brenna Malcolm-Peck. The twin sisters who played for Horizon this year are also high on CU’s wish list.



There are plenty of others to choose from, including Regis’ Diana Rolniak and Keyah Shealey, and possibly Taylor McBain from ThunderRidge.



McConnell-Miller is an extremely likable person and these 2009 players will come to CU because they like her and the school. They will want to know that she will be here for their careers.



This may be important to some recruits.



On the one hand, you have players such as Caley Dow, who came here for the school first and foremost.



But if you look at current players such as Brittany Spears, who couldn’t get into CU until after spending a year at a prep school, you’ll see a player who came here for the coaching staff first, and the school second.



Incoming freshman Alyssa Fressle, for example, broke the trend of seeing top-level in-state recruits go out of state. One big reason she chose CU, in addition to it being a great school, was because of the relationship she expects to have with McConnell-Miller.



Although progress has been slower than he’d like, Bohn sees the potential for McConnell-Miller to rebuild the program. By granting McConnell-Miller a two-year extension it puts her on notice that she only has two more years to get the job done, but it gives her the chance.



P.S.

Immediately after McConnell-Miller took herself out of the running for the UCLA job and reaffirmed her dedication to CU, she went to Virginia to recruit.



According to hoopgurlz, there is a four-star point guard from Virginia in the 2008 graduating class who hasn’t committed. Josette Campbell checks in at 6-foot-1 and hails from Notre Dame Academy in Middlebury, Virginia.



No word on whether CU is recruiting her, but it’s an interesting coincidence.