Oregon daily emerald., May 01, 2001, Page 9, Image 9

Players
continued from page 7
coach Runge tremendous credit,”
Williams said. “She put this pro
gram in a spot where it’s one of the
top programs in the country, and
you can’t take that from her. Grant
ed, she had her ways, but her ways
got her program to where it was.”
..-'I But it was
aiso ner ways
that alienated
many of her
athletes who
weren’t satis
fied with the
way the pro
gram was run.
Unaka, for
one, cited a se
WILLIAMS vere iacK 01
communication
between coach and players*
“She didn’t really develop rela
tionships with her players off the
court, and I think a lot of us really
wanted that in a coach,” Unaka
said. “We just want someone who
cared about us as people as well as
basketball players.”
Added Williams: “Coach Runge
is a very strong-willed woman. She
has her ways and she’s set in them.
When she says something, she
wants it done that way.”
As of now, one of Oregon’s three
assistant coaches will be named
interim head coach until a new
coach is found. Moos, who said
that he cares for Runge and her fu
ture, said the search for a replace
ment is underway.
“The players have been through
a lot,” Moos said. “I assured them
that the process to secure a new
coach is a priority to me.”
The recurring message in each of
the players’ voices Monday was
that this was a fresh start for the
team. Oregon guard Jamie Craig
head mentioned how “excited”
she was.
“I want to wish coach Runge the
best of luck wherever she goes, but
I think this will be very good for
our program,” Craighead said. “I’m
glad that it’s over. It’s been drain
ing.”
Runge, who wished the team
well in a released statement, has
not addressed her former team yet.
“If she wants to talk to us, that’s
fine,” Unaka said. “But I think
we’re just looking toward the fu
ture.”
im
Emerald
On the court, the Oregon women’s basketball players appeared happy with their wins. Off the court, though, there were problems.
Hockaday
continued from page 7
next season. No, no and no again.
But instead of mediation, Moos
used investigation. Instead of dis
cussing options, the Athletic De
partment squeezed Jody Runge ‘til
she popped.
Lisa Gardner, who graduated from
Oregon in 1996, is capital grants ad
ministrator for the Lane Transit Dis
trict and an eight-year season-ticket
holder for the women’s basketball
team. Gardner said the whole thing
smelled of a “witch hunt. ”
“Coach Runge may well have had
deficiencies in her coaching or com
munication style, but those deficien
cies could have been addressed in
private, ” Gardner said. “I haven’t de
cided if I will renew my season tick
ets next year. Coach Runge brought a
lot of the appeal and marketability to
the program for me. ”
Can’t we all agree on one thing?
Can we please agree that we’re glad
it’s over?
She’s gone. The hiring process
for a new coach will begin soon,
and an interim coach will take over
her position temporarily. People
may even start to forget about the
controversial Runge.
Of course, it’s not really over.
Newspapers, television stations,
even the near-perfect Oregon Daily
Emerald will continue to debate
Runge’s departure until Ernie Kent
starts yelling at his players (in other
words, forever).
But, like the Portland Trail Blaz
ers’ season, the ugliness has finally
been put to rest.
In the process, a slice of life has
been cut out of the Oregon athletic
program. Some salsa was scraped
off the burrito that is the women’s
basketball team.
Jody Runge can now enter the
real world.
Peter Hockaday is a sports reporter for the
Emerald. He can be reached at phocka
day@yahoo.com
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