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Report: Becky Hammon emerging as top candidate at Colorado State

By Brad Berreman

SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 17: Assistant Coach Becky Hammond warms up with players before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 17, 2017 at the AT
SAN ANTONIO, TX - NOVEMBER 17: Assistant Coach Becky Hammond warms up with players before the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on November 17, 2017 at the AT /
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Colorado State needs an overhaul in their men’s basketball program, and hiring Becky Hammon would be a trailblazing start.

As the college basketball coaching carousel gets set to spin, it would be easy to point to Memphis perhaps narrowing in on Penny Hardaway as the most intriguing possibility. But according to Pete Thamel of Yahoo!, Becky Hammon has emerged as one of the top candidates for the job at Colorado State.

Hammon was a three-time All-American at Colorado State, and she went on to be a six-time WNBA All-Star. She became the first full-time female assistant coach in NBA history when the San Antonio Spurs hired her in 2014, and she has coached their summer league team twice. By all indications her gender has not been any mark of differentiation, as she has commanded respect from top to bottom within one of the league’s best-run organizations.

Hammon interviewed for the women’s job at Florida last year, but turned down a reported offer. But her alma mater might be a special case this time around, after Larry Eustachy’s resignation late last month amid an investigation into his conduct.

It has seemed inevitable Hammon will become an NBA head coach some day, perhaps as Gregg Popovich’s successor with the Spurs. But the 69-year old has shown no real signs of slowing down, and he’ll be able to leave on his own motivation whenever he sees fit.

No woman has ever been a full-time head coach in men’s college basketball. Teresa Phillips, the athletic director at Tennessee State then and now, coached one game on an interim basis in 2003.

Eustachy and long-time top assistant Steve Barnes seemed to lead the abusive treatment of players at Colorado State. That approach was also not delivering results The Rams have an 11-20 record this season heading into Wednesday’s conference tournament game against Utah State, with no NCAA Tournament bids since Eustachy’s first season in 2012-13.

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Recruiting is obviously an essential part of college coaching, and Hammon’s interest (or lack thereof) in it will drive any reciprocation of Colorado State’s interest. But there’s no doubt about her qualifications, and the school seems to see her as the kind of fresh voice who can lead the men’s basketball team out of turmoil.