Long Beach State University Athletics
Hegarty Eager to Turn Things Around
9/6/2007 12:00:00 AM | General
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Hegarty Eager to Turn Things Around Mary Hegarty is seated behind her office desk in the Walter Pyramid, and her words are tinged with emotion when recounting her team's 9-23 disappointment last season. "How tough a year was it for me?" says the Long Beach State women's basketball coach, repeating a reporter's question. "Well, it was the worst of my professional life. It was painful. It was humiliating. It's something I never want to go through again." What compounded the agony for Mary Hegarty was that this was an unaccustomed experience for a person with a sound resume - she went 160-92 during her 10 years at Chapman College and was 51-35 in her previous three seasons with the 49ers - who never in her darkest dreams thought one of her teams could wind up with such a record. "I definitely now have greater empathy for other coaches who have had bad seasons," says Hegarty. "In the past, I tended to look at the record of a team that didn't do well, and figured the person coaching it wasn't very good. But now I found out firsthand that isn't necessarily the case." It all went badly when it seemed Mary Hegarty had the 49er program on an upward curve, as the previous season her 18-10 team was Big West co-champions and she was its Coach of the Year and the season before when the team went 19-9. "I knew we were young with nine freshmen coming in, but I still had high expectations," says Hegarty. "What went wrong?" she is asked. She pauses in contemplation. "Well, we lost a couple of players that I'm sure would have made a difference," she says. "And we were young, too young. I don't think I'll ever bring in nine freshmen again." But, as poorly as the season unfolded, Hegarty did view positive developments. "We obviously took a step back, but I think in the long run we'll take a step forward," says Hegarty. "What was nice to see is that my players took responsibility, didn't point fingers, stuck together and kept playing hard. Their character shined through all the adversity. "It was a tremendous joy to watch the way we played in our first two Big West Conference Tournament games in which we won. Of course, it didn't make up for our previous failures, but you have to appreciate the way the players came back under tough circumstances. "Our team also had the highest GPA (grade point average) of any in Long Beach State basketball history." Mary Hegarty smiles. "I have to admit I'd have been willing to trade a few grade points for a few more victories," she says. No doubt Hegarty's 49ers should be improved this season with five returning starters - guards Karina Figueroa, Lauren Sims and Tyresha Calhoun, center Kaiti O'Brien and forward Brett Timmons - and nine other letter winners - Valeriya Musina, Courtney Jacob, Ally Wade, Amanda Foster, Nondi Johnson, Imelda Pena, Lauren Bagley, Lindsey Beckner and Lakin Saucedo - also on the roster. She expects a Louisville transfer from Russia who sat out last season, Valeriya Musina, to provide help at the guard position, as well as a couple of other newcomers, Lynea Williams from Los Angeles City College and LaTorya Barbee, a 5-6 freshman from Moreno Valley. "I'm eager to get started," says Hegarty. "I'm eager to show that last year was a fluke, an aberration that never will happen again under my watch." Mary Hegarty understands she will be under close scrutiny from Vic Cegles, who has been the Long Beach State athletic director now for a year and a half. She understands athletic directors aren't known to be patient with coaches they didn't hire. She understands another losing season might not secure her long-term job security. "No one has to tell me what we have to do," she says. "We have to win. Another season like the one we just had is inexcusable. And I'll do everything within my power to see that things turn around." "Do you feel the you-have-to-win pressure?" Hegarty is asked. "I know it's an awful cliche, but the only pressure I feel is what I put on myself," she says. "Believe me, I want to win as badly as anybody. Like I said, I won't tolerate another season like the one we just went through." Unlike a lot of coaches who endure frustrating seasons, Mary Hegarty didn't panic and attempt to divert blame to other people. She even has retained all her assistants, Denise Curry, Nicole Anderson and Jason Flowers. "I can't say enough nice things about my coaching staff," she says. "Their loyalty and hard work never wavered last season. "They never lost their patience, and always were picking up the spirits of our players. And I think all their hard work paid off in the Big West Tournament." Still, Mary Hegarty admits this hasn't been one of her more memorable off-seasons. "It's been tough," she says. "You just never think you will have the kind of season we had. It's made me a lot more compassionate toward other coaches who have gone through the same thing. I hope I never have to go through it again." |
