Joanna Bernabei-McNamee Press Conference: Initial Thoughts

Following today’s introductory press conference with Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, BC Interruption (and me in particular) feels even more excited about the new women’s basketball coach. Coach McNamee seems to understand BC’s culture and is clearly motivated to turn this program around.

Right off the bat, Bernabei-McNamee mentioned 3 areas she wants to work on with the currents players: conditioning, rebounding, and perseverance. As I’ve been saying all year, this team is full of women with rough talent but they need a coach that can get them in shape and strengthen their fundamentals. Taylor Ortlepp, Georgia Pineau, and Milan Bolden-Morris in particular could be really strong players with a coach that works them hard and holds them accountable.

Bernabei-McNamee’s assertion that she will work the team hard to make them the fastest and most in-shape team in the ACC is promising, as this is what we have to work with until her recruiting classes start coming in. Martin Jarmond also made a point of mentioning that the women on the team told him they wanted a coach that would really push them to help them reach their full potential, and he believes he’s found a coach that can do that.

Jarmond also noted that when he talked to insiders about the coaching search, Bernabei-McNamee’s came up again and again. As was mentioned in yesterday’s article on the hire, it does seem that everybody who has ever worked with her has glowingly recommends Bernabei-McNamee.

Bernabei-McNamee, who reminisced about winning the NCAA Championship in Boston with Maryland, clearly expects excellence from her team. “We all wants BC women’s basketball to be where women’s basketball fans migrate. We do that by putting a great product on the court every night,” she told the press, adding “I’m looking forward to leading this program back.” Jarmond continued with that theme, stating that he wants to make sure fans know that this hire is representative of a new era of BC athletics that is focusing on staying competitive and winning games across all programs.

Obviously the real test will come this fall, but we’re excited for the direction the women’s basketball team is headed.