I don't care enough to defend Foster, but i'm not sure why anyone expects any different from OSU womens bball

The tournament started in 1984

84 Ohio State coach Tara Vanderveer's team lost in the 1st round
85 Nancy Darsch's first year and the Buck's made the final 8
86 final 16
87 final 8
88 final 16
89 final 16
90 2nd round
91 did not make the torunament
92 did not make the tournament
93 lost in the title game
94 did not make the tournament
95 did not make the tournament
96 2nd round
97 Beth Burns first year, did not make the tournament
98 did not make the tournament
99 1st round
00 did not make the tournament
01 Jim Foster's Bucks didn't make the tournament
02 did not make the tournament
03 2nd round
04 2nd round
05 final 16
06 2nd round
07 1st round
08 1st round
09 final 16
10 2nd round

It's not like we have a huge tradition of spectacular women's bball that he is destroying. He is competitive in the Big 10 and consistantly makes the tournament. (He has sucked in the tournament) I just don't know why anyone thinks we should be so much better.

Someone earlier suggested that Prochaska has a huge following in Plain City, but Plain Cities population is 3,560 people. I know there are probably quite a few more people who live in the JA school district who follow her, but unless they were all going to show up to every game we still wouldn't fill the Schott.

FatHobbit;628206 wrote:Someone earlier suggested that Prochaska has a huge following in Plain City, but Plain Cities population is 3,560 people. I know there are probably quite a few more people who live in the JA school district who follow her, but unless they were all going to show up to every game we still wouldn't fill the Schott.

Prochaska article...

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110106/SPORTS03/110109741

The year after Katie Smith took OSU to the title game, OSU averaged over 10,000 per game. I believe the program actually paid for itself that year. I don't think you'd have to sell out to pay for the program, probably get to the 10,000 to 12,000 range, which is very do-able. It will take a younger, energetic coach who likes to get out into Ohio and recruit for this to happen.

That coach, unlike Foster, will have to build strong ties to Ohio's high school coaches, and work with the OSU Athletic Department to actually market the product. With Foster, there has been basically zero marketing to try and sell tickets and build the following. It's been stagnant or declining.

Yes, they still occasionally have a larger crowd when they DO attempt a promotion, but it's few and far between.

If the next coach can just get one or two of Ohio's top recruits each year, the program would be a powerhouse more than it now is, and there would likely be a much more loyal following, because people from those communities and the surrounding areas will flock to see their girls play for OSU.

I saw it when Lisa Miller played at OSU, and when Katie Smith was here. There were thousands of high school kids at weekend games, in particular, as they bussed in girls teams to see the players they all knew about.

That connection has mostly been lost under Foster.

OSU women's basketball, like wrestling used to be, is a sleeping giant and just needs the right coach to get things going.