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We continue our season preview coverage with new Rhode Island women’s coach Tammi Reiss. If you want to find a basketball coach in 2019 you should probably check the inaugural WNBA draft in 1997: Michelle Edwards (4th overall pick in initial player allocation) is an assistant at Rutgers, Teresa Weatherspoon (10th overall pick in initial player allocation) is an assistant in the NBA, Lynette Woodard (10th overall pick in elite draft) is head coach at Winthrop, Vickie Johnson (12th overall pick in elite draft) is an assistant in the WNBA, Tina Thompson (1st overall pick in college draft) is head coach at Virginia, and the new head coach at Rhode Island is none other than Tammi Reiss (5th overall pick in college draft). HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Coach Reiss about playing in 3 straight Final 4s and starting a new job.
You scored 2871 career PTS at Eldred Central School (including a state-tourney-record 51 PTS in a game in 1988), which remains among the most in New York state high school history: what is the secret to being a great scorer? It is your mindset. I was taught at a very young age to be extremely aggressive. I did a lot of 1-on-1 work and the 1st option is always to look to score. I did what I needed to do to help my high school team win and just took whatever the defense gave me.
At Virginia you played with Hall of Fame teammate Dawn Staley for Hall of Fame head coach Debbie Ryan: did you realize at the time that you were sharing a locker room with a pair of legends? I did. 1 of the reasons I went to Virginia was because of Debbie. She kept making the Sweet 16 so I wanted to play for her and become part of the 1st team at the school to win a national championship. The 1st time that I saw Dawn play on the circuit I knew that she was a special player/phenomenal passer: I definitely knew that Dawn would be a Hall of Famer.
You made 3 straight Final 4s from 1990-1992: what was it like to keep making it that far and then running into Hall of Fame coaches such as Geno Auriemma/Pat Summitt/Tara VanDerveer once you got there? We got extremely tight and were horrific offensively in each Final 4. After losing the 1st 1 we put so much pressure on ourselves to win and did not handle it mentally as well as we should have. Instead of pressure we should have flipped it around to an underdog mentality.
You graduated as the school’s all-time leader with 139 3PM/41.6 3P%: what is the key to making shots from behind the arc? Getting into the gym and living there while putting in the time. All great shooters will tell you that you work on your form and then it is repetition. I always wanted to be the best at whatever I did. I was not a great 3-PT shooter in high school but knew that I would get a lot of open shots in college while playing with Dawn.
In 1997 you were chosen 5th overall by Utah in the 1st-ever WNBA draft: could you have ever imagined as a kid that you would get to play pro basketball in the US, and what did it mean to you to get drafted? I grew up watching Magic Johnson and the Lakers so my dream even in the 4th grade was to make the NBA and play for the Lakers because there was no women’s pro league back then. Never in a million years when I graduated did I think that it would become a reality. The 1st time I walked into legendary arenas like the Forum and MSG were amazing.
In 2002 you were selected to the ACC’s 50th anniversary women’s basketball team: where does that rank among the highlights of your career? It is really special to me. There are some amazing players in the ACC year in and year out and it is 1 of the best leagues in the entire nation. It is an honor to be part of that team but it is probably 4th behind winning a high school state title, our 1st ACC title, and going to a Final 4.
Last April you were hired as head coach at Rhode Island: why did you take the job, and how is it going so far? I took the job because it was like looking in the mirror and seeing everything reflecting back at me during my interview. I love the A-10: being on the East Coast is important because it is close to home and there is a lot to accomplish here. I think it is the right level for me: I can make mistakes/experiment and eventually take it from the bottom to the top. Today I had 1 of my best practices in the past 5 years in terms of competition/energy/enjoyment. To see the kids change from July to now in the court/classroom/community has been amazing. I would give it an A- and my staff and I are having a blast.
You have 1 player on the roster from Rhode Island and 5 players from foreign countries: what sort of recruiting philosophy do you have? We will take the best talent available but they have to fit our system. When I walk into the gym I look for intangibles: if someone is diving for loose balls and giving 110% then that is the kind of kid who will fit our system. I have a great international recruiter named Adeniyi Amadou who has cultivated relationships over the years and we can bring in players who can have a huge impact in the A-10. They are extremely talented and takes us up a notch immediately.
You have acted in a few films/TV shows: how do you like acting, and are we going to see you back on the screen anytime soon? Hopefully I will do a good job as a coach and not get fired…but once I retire I am going to “Betty White” it and do some character acting as my retirement passion! I love coaching and developing/mentoring young women as a positive role model.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? My team will set its own goals but I told them that I want 1 thing: every time we walk off the court if someone says “Damn your team plays hard!” then I will be a happy coach. That is my expectation for everything we do both on the court as well as similar feedback that we get in the classroom/community.