May 26, 2016
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By David Dawson
Fueled mostly by bottled water and adrenaline, Vanderbilt’s new women’s basketball coach Stephanie White effectively worked her way through an obstacle course of interviews, introductions, photo shoots, and video sessions on Wednesday.
Tiring? Maybe for some. But White, who is currently coaching the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, said she had no problem staying energized from start to finish.
“My excitement about the job, and about the future of Vanderbilt Basketball, is what kept me going strong,” White told vucommodores.com on Thursday. “And also the fact that I am so happy to be a part of this program. I am looking forward to doing anything and everything that we can to impact this community, the lives of the young women on our team and put a team on the floor that VU will be proud of.”
The centerpiece of Wednesday’s hectic schedule was a mid-afternoon press conference at Memorial Gym, where White was officially introduced to the local media — and the Commodore community. A large group of Vanderbilt fans attended the event, and they greeted White with high enthusiasm when she made her way to the stage with the Vanderbilt fight song ringing out in the gym.
“I thought the energy was outstanding,” said White. “It was great to see so many fans that are genuinely excited about the future, along with an administration and support staff that was so welcoming to my family and hungry for success.”
White said that, because of the frantic nature of the day, she didn’t have much time to sit back and reflect on the reality of the moment. It wasn’t until Thursday morning, she said, that things really begin to sink in and that she was able to wrap her mind around the fact that her dream of being a head coach at the college level was materializing.
“That moment came this morning, when I woke up and realized that this is really happening,” White said. “Yesterday was such a whirlwind and it was so exciting. But now, today, it’s time to get work on getting better.”
White’s trip from Indiana to Nashville on Wednesday morning is one that she will be making often in the weeks ahead as she continues to coach the Fever through the end of the WNBA season.
During the transition period, former Vanderbilt star and Hall of Famer Carolyn Peck — who coached White at Purdue — will serve as interim head coach for the Commodores. Peck will remain on White’s staff as an associate coach when White arrives on campus, for good, this fall.
Peck was the head coach at Purdue during White’s junior and senior seasons, and together, they helped the Boilermarkers win the 1999 NCAA championship. Now, they are teaming up again — with hopes of capturing more titles in the future.
“I am completely confident knowing that Carolyn is going to handle the transition this summer with great care,” White said. “We are set now to get things moving, and to take that first step of establishing our foundation and culture.”
As for catching her breath, well, that might be on hold for a while.
EVERY MOMENT ACCOUNTED FOR
Here’s a recount of White’s trip to Vanderbilt on Wednesday:
12:30 pm – Landed at Nashville airport
1:30 pm – Arrived on Vanderbilt campus
1:45 pm – Met with the Women’s Basketball Team
2:15 pm – Interviewed by Charlie Mattos, the WBB play-by-play announcer
2:30 pm – Photo Shoot
2:45 pm – Interviewed by TV station
3 pm – Met with Chancellor Zeppos, athletic director David Williams, Candice Lee & Search Committee
3:30 pm – Press Conference
4:15 pm – Meet with members of the National Commodore Club
4:45 pm – Photo Shoot with Bryce Drew
5 pm – Phone Interviews with media
5:30 pm – Met with Human Resources
6 pm – Dinner
6:30 pm – Video Shoot
7:30 pm – Met with administrators
9:15 pm – Left for Airport