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The waiting game ends
with Runge’s resignation
VV * TWO MINUTES FOR
CROSSCHECKING
PETER HOCKADAY
If you love sports, there’s nothing
worse than waiting. Even baseball
games only take a few hours to
wrap up.
And boy, did we wait for those words
to come out of Athletic Director Bill
Moos’ mouth Monday afternoon.
We waited nearly two months, but it
seemed like two years.
Finally, Oregon women’s basketball
head coach Jody Runge decided to end
our endless monotony. She stepped
down. Flew the coop. Took a hike.
Good riddance? I don’t think so.
We are in no position to judge Jody
Runge’s character. We have no idea what
she’s like off the court, in her home.
We do know she yelled at her players.
We do know, for a fact, that she made
poor decisions dealing with the social
aspect of her team. We know she
stalked the sidelines like a general, and
she was no Beetle Bailey.
But college prepares you for the real
world, and that—like Jody Runge — is
harsh. Angelina Wolvert and Jenny
Mowe started training for the WNBA
immediately after losing in the first
round of the NCAA Tournament, and
both were drafted. Shaquala Williams,
when she graduates, will be drafted. A
host of other Oregon seniors will proba
bly go on to play ball in Europe, or
South America, or wherever.
The real world. Scary, isn’t it?
The real world is populated by people
such as Eugene resident Paula Gourley, an
ex-teacher who said she once filed a pay
equity lawsuit against a state university.
“The rules for women are different,”
Gourley said. “If women speak out, they
will pay a bigger price than anybody, and
now Runge will be tainted. ”
It’s doubtful that all the players head
ing into post-collegiate basketball will
have sickly sweet, roses-in-your-mailbox
coaches when they get there. For every
Ernie Kent, there’s a Jody Runge. For
every Joe Torre, there’s a Bobby Knight.
Not to say that Runge should have
been reinstated, given a Mercedes and
sent on her way to diagram plays for
Turn to Hockaday, page 9
Emerald
Former Oregon women’s basketball head coach Jody Runge guided the Ducks to an 87-19 record at McArthur Court.
■The Duck players give their
thanks to Runge, but they are
looking forwa rd to moving on
By Jeff Smith
Oregon Daily Emerald
There weren’t any signs of sadness.
No sight of grief.
Rather, the Oregon women’s basket
ball players greeted the news of coach
Jody Runge’s resignation Monday with
a strong sense of relief, as if the dark
clouds that hung over their heads had
cleared.
“We’re just pleased that it’s over
with and there’s finally closure on the
issue and we don’t have to answer any
more questions about what’s going to
happen,” point guard Shaquala
Williams said. “We can move on.”
As Athletic Director Bill Moos an
nounced the news in a press confer
ence in the Casanova
Center Monday after
noon, the players
were already trying to
put the past behind
them by holding a
workout in the
Moshofsky Center.
The team has
grown weary of the controversy that
has circled them ever since news
leaked of the eight unidentified players
meeting with Moos on March 4 to air
their concerns about Runge.
“We were all kind of in limbo for
about eight weeks, not knowing what
was going to happen,” forward Ndidi
Unaka said. “I think a lot of us feel re
lief that finally something has hap
pened.”
Many players admitted they didn’t
even read the newspapers or watch the
numerous television reports that re
garded their program and the private
law firm that was investigating it.
“Got tired of it,” Williams said.
“Every time some new rumor comes
up, people are calling your house and
wanting to get an interview, so we’re
happy it’s over with.”
Those individuals who did speak
Monday, though, made sure to thank
Runge for bringing them into the pro
gram and for raising Oregon women’s
basketball to a high level. In eight sea
sons, Runge coached the Ducks to eight
NCAA Tournament appearances and to
a combined record of 160-73.
“I think everyone needs to give
Turn to Players, page 9
Runge era was filled with wins, but also controversy
■Jody Runge enjoyed
unparalleled success on the
court, but her actions off it
prompted a closer look
By Robbie McCallum
Oregon Daily Emerald
She is, for now, the most successful
coach in Oregon basketball history.
And while her exit from the Universi
ty will be clouded by controversy,
Jody Runge’s tenure at Oregon was
filled with nothing but success on the
court.
It ended Monday after eight years of
service when Runge resigned as head
coach of the women’s basketball team.
“The events of the last six weeks
have led me to the conclusion that it is
in the best interests of the program to
resign at this time,” Runge said in a re
leased statement.
Runge was hired in 1993 following
the firing of 17-year veteran Elwin
Heiny. She took over a 9-18 program
that hadn’t had a winning season in
three years.
“I’m very excited about the opportu
nity to coach at a prestigious institu
tion like Oregon,” Runge told the
Emerald on April 9, 1993, when she
was hired. “I want to put Oregon back
on the map.”
The former Missouri assistant had
immediate success, guiding the hungry
Ducks to a 20-9 record and their first
NCAA Tournament appearance since
1987.
Runge would find much more suc
cess on the court over the next seven
years. Her Oregon teams won no fewer
than 17 games and qualified for the
NCAA Tournament each year.
Off the court, however, tensions be
gan to rise between Runge and the Ath
letic Department. As early as 1995,
Runge and then-Athletic Director Rich
Brooks battled over an extension of her
one-year, $42,000 contract. This start
ed a rift between Runge and the Athlet
ic Department that lasted until her res
ignation Monday.
Following the Ducks’ third straight
NCAA Tournament appearance under
Runge, more trouble arose. Runge re
voked the scholarship of sophomore
Kristin Niemann after the 1995-96 sea
son, causing Niemann to leave the
team and go into psychological coun
seling.
Later in the year, guard Elsa Oliveira
accused assistant coach Kelly Kebe of
slapping her in the face. At the begin
ning of the 1996-97 season, two Aus
tralian players, Renae Fegent and
Natasha O’Brien, were suspended for
Turn to History, page 8
RUNGE