She knows it will not happen overnight. And it probably won't happen next year. But when you talk with Roxanne Allen, you know it will happen. It's not a matter of "if," it's "when" The University of Akron is a contender in the Mid-American Conference.
A 1976 McNeese State graduate, Allen has a demonstrated reputation as a "program builder." She had been asked to retool three Northeast Ohio college basketball programs in nine seasons, and given those circumstances, has fashioned an amazing 115-91 (.588 winning percentage) mark.
"Roxanne Allen possesses all of the qualities we were looking for in a new head women's basketball coach -- character, integrity and a sound academic and athletic philosophy," said UA Director of Athletics Michael A. Bobinski. "In addition, the regional contacts and knowledge developed over the last nine years will allow Roxanne to make a smooth transition. We're excited to have her join us and look forward to her leadership of the program."
Prior to her appointment at Akron on April 19, 1997, Allen had been the women's basketball and tennis coach at The College of Wooster, inheriting a cage program which had tumbled to 5-19 in 1993-94 -- the poorest record in school history.
She quickly brought the Lady Scots back to respectability with a 10-16 mark and a fifth-place showing in the North Coast Athletic Conference in 1995.
Her '95-96 Wooster squad reached the NCAC Tournament championship game, falling to Wittenberg, 69-66, and finishing 13-14.
Just five experienced players returned to complement 10 newcomers last October when Allen began a "youth movement" at Timken Gymnasium. For most of the season, the Scots' starting five consisted of four freshmen and one sophomore, before a two-sport junior joined the team from the volleyball squad. Allen's youngsters managed a 12-13 record last winter.
Prior to Wooster, Allen had resuscitated the women's basketball program at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. JCU had bottomed out at 5-20 in 1988-89. In four seasons, Allen forged a 68-38 mark, including back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1993 and '94. She coached five All-Americans at John Carroll, including two-time honorees Danielle Sluga and Stacey Mullally, and her teams cracked the NCAA Division III national rankings in consecutive years. For the 1992-93 season, she was honored as a Fast Break All-American coach.
Allen also served as Senior Women's Administrator, women's tennis coach and lecturer in the JCU health and physical education department. Her 1994 John Carroll tennis team won the Ohio Athletic Conference championship, earning her conference coach-of-the-year notice.
In 1988, she assumed the Director of Athletics and women's basketball coaching post at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. She began the program from scratch and, with an all-freshman team in 1989, finished 12-10.
A native of Elton, La., Allen was a two-sport athlete at Northeast Louisiana University, playing volleyball and being a pioneer member of the women's basketball program from 1972-74. After two seasons at NLU, she then transferred to McNeese State, where she concentrated on basketball and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation in 1976.
She was a middle school teacher and coach in Louisiana from 1976-78 and worked for Louisiana's PPG Industries in environmental safety from 1981-86 prior to graduate school. In between, she served as head women's softball coach at McNeese State during the 1980 season.
Allen completed her master's degree at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas in 1988, while serving as an assistant volleyball coach.
ROXANNE ALLEN'S COLLEGIATE HEAD-COACHING RECORD:
Year School Record Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1988-89 Notre Dame College - Hired to start program from scratch 1989-90 Notre Dame College 12-10 All-freshman team --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Notre Dame Totals (2 years) 12-10 (.545) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1990-91 John Carroll University 10-17 Inherited 5-10 program 1991-92 John Carroll University 18-9 Third place OAC 1992-93 John Carroll University 20-6 Third place OAC, All-American Coach 1993-94 John Carroll University 20-6 Second-place tie, OAC --------------------------------------------------------------------------- John Carroll Totals (4 years) 68-38 (.642) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1994-95 College of Wooster 10-16 Inherited 5-19 program 1995-96 College of Wooster 13-14 NCAC Tourney title game 1996-97 College of Wooster 12-13 9-7 NCAC, fourth place --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wooster Totals (3 years) 35-43 (.449) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Career Total (9 years) 115-91 (.558)
"Cindy's energy level is way beyond imagination," said Allen. "Add that to a tremendous work ethic and her knowledge of the game, and it's easy to see why she is loved and admired by her athletes."
Before joining forces with Allen, Sperry coached against her as as assistant women's basketball coach at Hiram College, where she also was the head women's soccer coach and senior women's administrator. Sperry supervised the Terriers' strength and conditioning program, served as the recruiting coordinator, and worked on the floor primarily with the team's post players.
Sperry's first collegiate coaching experience came at Urbana (Ohio) University, where she coached women's basketball as an assistant, and was responsible for piloting the Blue Knights' track and field program. In 1989, Urbana won Mid-Ohio Conference and District championships, at which time two of Sperry's post players earned All-Conference and All-District honors.
A 1987 graduate of Ashland University, Sperry holds Bachelor of Science degrees in health and physical education and recreation administration. She also recently completed her master of science in education/outdoor education at Akron. An excellent all-around athlete, Sperry was a three-sport star at Wall High School in Wall Township, N. J., where she was a four-year member of the basketball and soccer teams and an all-state performer in the discus.
In addition, Beatty's teams appeared in the 1993 OHSAA semifinals, and in the district finals in 1992 and 1994. She also served as the athletic director for St. V-M for three years, and for four years as the school's head volleyball coach. Under her tutelage, the Irish volleyball team reached the 1995 regional semifinal after capturing the district championship.
The Akron Touchdown Club basketball coach of the year in 1993 and '95, Beatty earned numerous other coaching awards during her high school tenure. She was a Dapper Dan basketball honoree in 1996, the District III volleyball coach of the year in 1995, a two-time honoree as the Northeast Ohio Inland District Division III basketball coach of the year ('94 and '95), the Associated Press All-Ohio Division III basketball coach of the year in 1994, the Cleveland Plain Dealer Medina/Summit/Portage counties basketball coach of the year in 1994, and the Akron Beacon Journal Summit County basketball coach of the year in 1994.
"Nancy is well-known throughout the Akron commmunity as an accomplished high school coach," said UA head coach Roxanne Allen. "Nancy's expertise is post play and defensive strategies. She's also an excellent motivator."
A 1988 graduate of Kent State University, Beatty earned her undergraduate degree in comprehensive science. She also lettered two years as a member of the Golden Flashes' hoops team, leading the club in rebounding one year.
A 1997 graduate of John Carroll University with a degree in English, Bahhur was a four-year basketball letterwinner and team captain as a senior. She completed her career at JCU sixth all-time in rebounding (525) and field-goal percentage (.469). Bahhur, who is from Lakewood, Ohio and graduated from Lakewood High School, was honorable mention All-Ohio Athletic Conference last season when she led JCU in scoring at 10.2 points per contest.