The Ohio women's basketball team knew it was getting a North Carolina graduate and 1994 Final Four Most Valuable Player as the new head coach for next season.
What the Bobcats did not expect from coach Sylvia Crawley is that she would also be doubling as a player in the Women's National Basketball Association.
On May 2, two weeks after Ohio hired Crawley as Lynn Bria's replacement, the San Antonio Silver Stars signed the 6-foot-5 center for the 2006 season.
Ohio Athletic Director Kirby Hocutt said Crawley was upfront and honest about her plans during the interviewing process for the coaching position.
Throughout the interview she communicated how she was going to lead this women's basketball program from a distance over the summer months
he said. She has her offseason workout program structure she knows what type of basketball that she wants the team to play and she's got the drills and conditioning outlined and what it's going to take to be at full speed when she does arrive.
With the 1994 NCAA championship under her belt, the Wintersville, Ohio, native went on to average 8.2 points and 4.9 rebounds in four WNBA seasons. The Silver Stars are the same team Crawley played for in 2003 before retiring, so they retained the rights to her contract.
The San Antonio News-Express reported that Crawley contacted San Antonio's coach and general manager Dan Hughes a couple weeks ago about a return.
Hocutt also said that Crawley's status as a WNBA player will do wonders for recruiting.
I think it will have a tremendously positive effect
he said. All young women out there aspire to play for a program that can compete for conference championships and national championships and aspire to play at the next level. To be able to come to Ohio University and play for a coach who has accomplished all of that ' has won a national championship
was the MVP of a Final Four
who is respected as one of the most successful players in WNBA history ' I think (from a recruit's view)
she brings a tremendous opportunity.
While she is away, Crawley is still going to keep in contact with the Ohio players as they condition for the upcoming season.
They've been working with Coach (Stephanie) Yelton for the past few weeks
Hocutt said, and the team has selected Quintana Ward as the team captain. Quintana and Coach Crawley talk on a consistent basis. Coach Crawley has the e-mails and cell phones of all of our players and keeps in contact.
Hocutt said that he's quite confident about the future of the women's program.
We're very excited about the national visibility and exposure that our women's basketball program is going to receive throughout the course of the WNBA season
Hocutt said. Not only is Sylvia Crawley a WNBA basketball player
but she's also the head coach of the Ohio Bobcats
and that will be talked about throughout women's college basketball over the next four months.
Crawley did not play in the first preseason game on May 6 but the WNBA season is just getting underway and continues into August.
