All week there has been speculation about the future of women’s basketball coach Beth Burns and if she will return next year. In a press conference yesterday, Athletics Director Andy Geiger announced that Burns would not get a new contract.
Her current contract expires June 30.
There is not a specific event that led Geiger to make his decision, and he said he has been meeting with Burns on and off the past couple of years to discuss the direction of the team.
“The program is ready for new leadership,” Geiger said. “And, after five years, the program is not where we would like it to be.”
Burns came to Ohio State five years ago from San Diego State to replace Nancy Darsch. Her overall record with the Buckeyes is 82-65, including this year’s record of 14-15.
“Beth Burns has worked extremely hard at her job and is very dedicated to the sport, to the team and to the program,” Geiger said. “That made it a difficult decision.”
With the nearing of the NCAA tournament, the process of selecting a new coach may not take place right away; but throughout the tournament, the selection committee will be talking to potential candidates.
Two players will take part in the decision-making but it has not been determined which players will be chosen. The search for a new coach will be open and could possibly come from a current staff member.
“The staff always serves at the pleasure of the head coach, and we will not preclude any of them from being candidates or from being continued by a new coach,” Geiger said.
Burns’ reaction to yesterday’s decision was calm, and Geiger described his meeting with her as “fairly direct and brief.”
Besides not receiving a new contract, Burns’ season came to a different ending this year compared to last year’s, when the Buckeyes claimed the 2001 WNIT Championship. This year OSU did not even receive a postseason bid.
Burns and her ball club made it to two games in the Big Ten tournament last week in Indianapolis but were defeated in their second game against Penn State 70-55. In their first game of the tournament against Michigan State, OSU played a hard-fought game, going into double overtime to clinch an 89-82 victory.
Geiger met with the team shortly before he made the announcement yesterday and said that they were calm, listened and had a few questions.
Sophomore forward Emily Haynam said she is not necessarily glad that it’s over but is happy that a decision has been made. She said now the team can go on about their business.
