Theresa Grentz
Encyclopedia
Theresa Shank Grentz from Glenolden, Pennsylvania
, is the former head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Illinois
, Rutgers University
and St. Josephs. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
.
Her career record is 671-309 and she served as a head coach for 32 years, with the last 13 as the Illinois head coach. She was the Olympic head coach in 1992; the team captured the Bronze medal in Barcelona
. She is 10th all time in women's NCAA basketball coaching victories and only had two losing seasons in her 32 years of coaching basketball. Grentz was an honor initiate into the University of Illinois Theta chapter of Sigma Kappa
Sorority.
between 1972 and 1974. The 1974 title game was the first ever live coverage of a US women's basketball game. She scored over 1,000 points, and earned First Team All-America status three times. Immaculata retired her jersey, number 12. She was named the AMF Collegiate Player of the Year.
Theresa Grentz was a pioneer of sorts in women's basketball. Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Cathy Rush, Grentz was the center of attention for the Macs of Immaculata College in the early 1970s.
The same year that Richard Nixon signed Title IX guaranteeing equal opportunity for women, Grentz was leading the tiny private Catholic institution to the first of its three AIAW National Championships. Grentz was an icon in women's college basketball. At 5-11, she was a dominant force in the middle on those Immaculata teams.
During her four years at the Pennsylvanian college, the Mighty Macs won a remarkable three AIAW National Championships, from 1972-74. Grentz was a mainstay for the dominant Immaculata teams, which amassed 74 victories, many over some of the largest universities in the nation. Grentz scored more than 1,000 career points for the Mighty Macs and was named a first team All-American for three consecutive years. She was named the 1974 AMF Collegiate Player of the Year and had her No. 12 jersey retired by Immaculata.
Grentz played before the first ever television audience of women's basketball, when Immaculata won its third title on March 23, 1974.
.
. She quickly became the head coach, and compiled a record 27–5 in two seasons.
Grentz's storied coaching career began as soon as she graduated from college in 1974. She was hired as the part-time head coach at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia later that year.
player Sue Wicks
at Rutgers, where she became the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the nation. She led Rutgers to nine straight postseason appearances and a 434-150 (.743) record during her tenure and won the 1982 AIAW National Championship.
Grentz was hired at Rutgers, becoming the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the nation. Inspired by her former coach, Cathy Rush, Grentz turned the Rutgers program into a national power.
During 19 seasons at Rutgers (1976-95), Grentz's teams compiled an outstanding record of 434-150 (.743), including nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1986-94. Fourteen of Grentz's 19 Lady Knight teams won at least 20 games.
Her 1981-82 team finished with a 25-7 record and won the AIAW National Championship. In 1994, Grentz's Lady Knights became the first unranked team to defeat a No. 1 ranked team in the history of the AP women's basketball poll when they stunned Tennessee, 87-77.
During her unparalleled stint at Rutgers, Grentz won six Atlantic 10 regular-season titles and four Atlantic 10 tournament titles. She coached three Kodak/WBCA All-Americans, Kris Kirchner (1981), June Olkowski (1982) and Sue Wicks (1986-87-88). Wicks went on to earn National Player of the Year honors in 1987-88.
As a result of her success Grentz has won a multitude of awards. A 1992 inductee into the NIKE Hall of Fame, Grentz guided the Lady Knights to a 30-3 record in 1986-87 to earn the Converse National Coach of the Year award. She also has been named the March of Dimes Coach of the Year (1990-91), the Metropolitan Women's Basketball Association Coach of the Year (1992-93) and the Newark Star Ledger Coach of the Year (1985-86). In addition, Grentz has twice been named the Kodak District II Coach of the Year and was honored four times as the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
District Coach of the Year in both 1997 and 1998. In 1997 the AP and USA Today
polls ranked the Illini as #5 in the nation, a first for the program.
Under her reign, Angelina Williams became the highest Illini WNBA draft pick in 2005. Other players drafted include Cindy Dallas, now sidelined by injuries, in 2004, and Tauja Catchings, sister of WNBA player Tamika Catchings
, who was drafted into the WNBA
and now plays professionally in Sweden.
Illinois women's basketball reached new heights after the hiring of Grentz on May 15, 1995. Grentz committed herself to making Illinois nationally renowned for its dual commitment to athletic success and academic excellence. Prior to her arrival, the Illini had not reached the post-season in eight years. In 12 seasons under Grentz, the Orange and Blue have advanced to the post-season 10 times, including 10 of the last 11 years.
In just her second season at Illinois, Grentz led the Fighting Illini to the program's first-ever Big Ten title in 1997 and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The Illini would return to the Sweet Sixteen a year later in 1998 after a second place conference finish. Illinois achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons for only the second time in school history those two seasons. The team's 12-4 Big Ten record in both '97 and '98 are the best conference marks in the program's history.
The 10th-winningest women's basketball coach in NCAA history with 671 career wins, Grentz led the Illini to a program-best 24-8 mark in 1996-97, and has an overall mark of 210-156 and a Big Ten record of 101-91 in her 12 seasons in Champaign, including a 19-12 mark in 2006-07 and a fourth place Big Ten finish. Her success at Illinois earned her back-to-back Big Ten Coach of the Year and WBCA District Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and '98. Grentz also guided former Illini Ashley Berggren to All-America honors in 1998 and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1997, both firsts for an Illinois women's basketball player. The team's No. 5 ranking in the AP and USA Today polls in December, 1997, marked the highest ranking ever for an Illinois team.
Three Illini have been selected in the WNBA draft during Grentz's tenure. Tauja Catchings, one of Grentz's first recruits at Illinois, was drafted by the WNBA in 2000. She has since played professionally in Sweden and is still pursuing a pro career. In the spring of 2004, Cindy Dallas was taken in the second round of the WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars, however injuries have derailed her career.
Most recently, star forward Angelina Williams was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft by the Phoenix Mercury. As the 18th overall selection and the fifth pick of the second round, Williams was the highest-ever UI draft pick. When she took the court in the Mercury's season opener that season, she became the first Illinois alum to play in a WNBA game. After being traded to the Detroit Shock just before the 2006 season, Williams helped the Shock win the WNBA title.
Grentz retired following the 2006-07 season after 12 season with the Illini. She compiled a record of 210-156 at Illinois, including one Big Ten Championship (1997), two Sweet Sixteens and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
On April 17, 2007, Grentz announced her resignation from Illinois
to pursue other career opportunities.
On Sept. 10, 1990, Grentz received the coaching profession's ultimate honor when she was named head coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. team won its first three games by an average of 45.6 points at the Barcelona games. After a heartbreaking 79-73 loss to the Unified Team, the U.S. squad came back to defeat Cuba, 88-74, and earned a bronze medal.
Prior to serving as Olympic coach, Grentz had already accumulated a wealth of international experience. In 1981, she directed the U.S. Dial Junior National Team in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and the U.S. Maccabiah Team in Israel, where the team won a silver medal. In 1985, she won the gold medal with the U.S.A. Select Team at the Jones Cup Tournament in Taiwan. Grentz coached the U.S. World University Games team in Toronto in 1989 before heading the 1990 U.S. World Championships team in Malaysia and the U.S. Goodwill Games team in Seattle. Both of her 1990 national teams won gold medals in their respective tournaments.
Glenolden, Pennsylvania
Glenolden is a borough in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 7,476 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glenolden is located at ....
, is the former head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
and St. Josephs. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
The Women's Basketball Hall of Fame honors men and women who have contributed to the sport of women's basketball. The Hall of Fame opened in 1999 in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA...
.
Her career record is 671-309 and she served as a head coach for 32 years, with the last 13 as the Illinois head coach. She was the Olympic head coach in 1992; the team captured the Bronze medal in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. She is 10th all time in women's NCAA basketball coaching victories and only had two losing seasons in her 32 years of coaching basketball. Grentz was an honor initiate into the University of Illinois Theta chapter of Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa
Sigma Kappa is a sorority founded in 1874 at Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Sigma Kappa was founded by five women: Mary Caffrey Low Carver, Elizabeth Gorham Hoag, Ida Mabel Fuller Pierce, Frances Elliott Mann Hall and Louise Helen Coburn...
Sorority.
Immaculata
Grentz(née Shank) intended to go to college out of state, but while a high school senior, her family's house burned down, losing everything, so she decided to attend Immaculata. There she played for the Mighty Macs and led the team to three straight AIAW National ChampionshipsAIAW Champions
The Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was founded in 1971 to govern collegiate women’s athletics and to administer national championships...
between 1972 and 1974. The 1974 title game was the first ever live coverage of a US women's basketball game. She scored over 1,000 points, and earned First Team All-America status three times. Immaculata retired her jersey, number 12. She was named the AMF Collegiate Player of the Year.
Theresa Grentz was a pioneer of sorts in women's basketball. Playing for Hall of Fame Coach Cathy Rush, Grentz was the center of attention for the Macs of Immaculata College in the early 1970s.
The same year that Richard Nixon signed Title IX guaranteeing equal opportunity for women, Grentz was leading the tiny private Catholic institution to the first of its three AIAW National Championships. Grentz was an icon in women's college basketball. At 5-11, she was a dominant force in the middle on those Immaculata teams.
During her four years at the Pennsylvanian college, the Mighty Macs won a remarkable three AIAW National Championships, from 1972-74. Grentz was a mainstay for the dominant Immaculata teams, which amassed 74 victories, many over some of the largest universities in the nation. Grentz scored more than 1,000 career points for the Mighty Macs and was named a first team All-American for three consecutive years. She was named the 1974 AMF Collegiate Player of the Year and had her No. 12 jersey retired by Immaculata.
Grentz played before the first ever television audience of women's basketball, when Immaculata won its third title on March 23, 1974.
.
St. Josephs
After graduating in 1974, Grentz began teaching at an elementary school, while working as a part-time assistant coach at Saint Joseph's CollegeSaint Joseph's University
Saint Joseph's University is a private, coeducational Roman Catholic Jesuit university located partially in the Wynnefield section of Philadelphia and partially in Lower Merion Township and located in the Pennsylvania Main Line, Pennsylvania, United States.The school was founded in 1851 as Saint...
. She quickly became the head coach, and compiled a record 27–5 in two seasons.
Grentz's storied coaching career began as soon as she graduated from college in 1974. She was hired as the part-time head coach at St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia later that year.
Rutgers
Grentz coached future New York LibertyNew York Liberty
The New York Liberty is a professional basketball team based in New York City, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association . The team was one of the eight original franchises of the league...
player Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks
Sue Wicks is a former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association . She played with the New York Liberty from 1997 to 2002. She currently serves as a collegiate basketball coach.-Early Basketball Career:Wicks played for Rutgers University from 1984 to 1988...
at Rutgers, where she became the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the nation. She led Rutgers to nine straight postseason appearances and a 434-150 (.743) record during her tenure and won the 1982 AIAW National Championship.
Grentz was hired at Rutgers, becoming the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the nation. Inspired by her former coach, Cathy Rush, Grentz turned the Rutgers program into a national power.
During 19 seasons at Rutgers (1976-95), Grentz's teams compiled an outstanding record of 434-150 (.743), including nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances from 1986-94. Fourteen of Grentz's 19 Lady Knight teams won at least 20 games.
Her 1981-82 team finished with a 25-7 record and won the AIAW National Championship. In 1994, Grentz's Lady Knights became the first unranked team to defeat a No. 1 ranked team in the history of the AP women's basketball poll when they stunned Tennessee, 87-77.
During her unparalleled stint at Rutgers, Grentz won six Atlantic 10 regular-season titles and four Atlantic 10 tournament titles. She coached three Kodak/WBCA All-Americans, Kris Kirchner (1981), June Olkowski (1982) and Sue Wicks (1986-87-88). Wicks went on to earn National Player of the Year honors in 1987-88.
As a result of her success Grentz has won a multitude of awards. A 1992 inductee into the NIKE Hall of Fame, Grentz guided the Lady Knights to a 30-3 record in 1986-87 to earn the Converse National Coach of the Year award. She also has been named the March of Dimes Coach of the Year (1990-91), the Metropolitan Women's Basketball Association Coach of the Year (1992-93) and the Newark Star Ledger Coach of the Year (1985-86). In addition, Grentz has twice been named the Kodak District II Coach of the Year and was honored four times as the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.
University of Illinois
When Coach Grentz arrived at Illinois in 1995, the team was not a good program. In just two years she produced two Sweet Sixteen appearances in the NCAA championship series and a Big Ten championship (1997). The team achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons for the second time in Illini history. Grentz was honored as Big Ten Coach of the Year and WBCAWomen's Basketball Coaches Association
The Women's Basketball Coaches Association is an association of coaches of women's basketball teams at all levels.The organization was formed in 1981, with the goal of addressing the needs of women's basketball coaches.The mission of the WBCA is:...
District Coach of the Year in both 1997 and 1998. In 1997 the AP and USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
polls ranked the Illini as #5 in the nation, a first for the program.
Under her reign, Angelina Williams became the highest Illini WNBA draft pick in 2005. Other players drafted include Cindy Dallas, now sidelined by injuries, in 2004, and Tauja Catchings, sister of WNBA player Tamika Catchings
Tamika Catchings
Tamika Devonne Catchings is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA and Turkish team Galatasaray. She is a prolific scorer close to and far from the basket, as well as a capable rebounder, ball handler, and defender. After playing at Adlai E...
, who was drafted into the WNBA
2000 WNBA Draft
2000 WNBA Draft - 25 April 2000*On December 15, 1999, a WNBA expansion draft took place.*On April 25, 2000 the regular WNBA draft took place.-Expansion Draft:-College draft:-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:...
and now plays professionally in Sweden.
Illinois women's basketball reached new heights after the hiring of Grentz on May 15, 1995. Grentz committed herself to making Illinois nationally renowned for its dual commitment to athletic success and academic excellence. Prior to her arrival, the Illini had not reached the post-season in eight years. In 12 seasons under Grentz, the Orange and Blue have advanced to the post-season 10 times, including 10 of the last 11 years.
In just her second season at Illinois, Grentz led the Fighting Illini to the program's first-ever Big Ten title in 1997 and first-ever appearance in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. The Illini would return to the Sweet Sixteen a year later in 1998 after a second place conference finish. Illinois achieved back-to-back 20-win seasons for only the second time in school history those two seasons. The team's 12-4 Big Ten record in both '97 and '98 are the best conference marks in the program's history.
The 10th-winningest women's basketball coach in NCAA history with 671 career wins, Grentz led the Illini to a program-best 24-8 mark in 1996-97, and has an overall mark of 210-156 and a Big Ten record of 101-91 in her 12 seasons in Champaign, including a 19-12 mark in 2006-07 and a fourth place Big Ten finish. Her success at Illinois earned her back-to-back Big Ten Coach of the Year and WBCA District Coach of the Year honors in 1997 and '98. Grentz also guided former Illini Ashley Berggren to All-America honors in 1998 and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1997, both firsts for an Illinois women's basketball player. The team's No. 5 ranking in the AP and USA Today polls in December, 1997, marked the highest ranking ever for an Illinois team.
Three Illini have been selected in the WNBA draft during Grentz's tenure. Tauja Catchings, one of Grentz's first recruits at Illinois, was drafted by the WNBA in 2000. She has since played professionally in Sweden and is still pursuing a pro career. In the spring of 2004, Cindy Dallas was taken in the second round of the WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars, however injuries have derailed her career.
Most recently, star forward Angelina Williams was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft by the Phoenix Mercury. As the 18th overall selection and the fifth pick of the second round, Williams was the highest-ever UI draft pick. When she took the court in the Mercury's season opener that season, she became the first Illinois alum to play in a WNBA game. After being traded to the Detroit Shock just before the 2006 season, Williams helped the Shock win the WNBA title.
Grentz retired following the 2006-07 season after 12 season with the Illini. She compiled a record of 210-156 at Illinois, including one Big Ten Championship (1997), two Sweet Sixteens and five NCAA Tournament appearances.
On April 17, 2007, Grentz announced her resignation from Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
to pursue other career opportunities.
USA Basketball
Grentz served as coach of the USA team at the 1990 Goodwill games, and the 1990 World Championships. The 1990 team won the gold medal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Grentz served as head coach of the 1992 Olympic team in Barcelona, which won the bronze medal.On Sept. 10, 1990, Grentz received the coaching profession's ultimate honor when she was named head coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. The U.S. team won its first three games by an average of 45.6 points at the Barcelona games. After a heartbreaking 79-73 loss to the Unified Team, the U.S. squad came back to defeat Cuba, 88-74, and earned a bronze medal.
Prior to serving as Olympic coach, Grentz had already accumulated a wealth of international experience. In 1981, she directed the U.S. Dial Junior National Team in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and the U.S. Maccabiah Team in Israel, where the team won a silver medal. In 1985, she won the gold medal with the U.S.A. Select Team at the Jones Cup Tournament in Taiwan. Grentz coached the U.S. World University Games team in Toronto in 1989 before heading the 1990 U.S. World Championships team in Malaysia and the U.S. Goodwill Games team in Seattle. Both of her 1990 national teams won gold medals in their respective tournaments.
Records
The Grentz Record| Year | School | Record | Rank | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-07 | Illinois | 19-12 | - | WNIT Second Round |
| 2005-06 | Illinois | 16-15 | - | WNIT First Round |
| 2004-05 | Illinois | 17-13 | - | WNIT First Round |
| 2003-04 | Illinois | 10-18 | - | - |
| 2002-03 | Illinois | 17-12 | - | NCAA First Round |
| 2001-02 | Illinois | 15-14 | - | WNIT Second Round |
| 2000-01 | Illinois | 17-16 | - | WNIT Second Round |
| 1999-00 | Illinois | 23-11 | - | NCAA Second Round |
| 1998-99 | Illinois | 19-12 | - | NCAA Second Round |
| 1997-98 | Illinois | 20-10 | 14 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 1996-97 | Illinois | 24-8 | 13 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen, Big Ten Champions |
| 1995-96 | Illinois | 13-15 | - | - |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1994-95 | Rutgers | 17-13 | - | - |
| 1993-94 | Rutgers | 22-8 | - | NCAA First Round |
| 1992-93 | Rutgers | 22-9 | - | NCAA Second Round |
| 1991-92 | Rutgers | 21-11 | - | NCAA Second Round |
| 1990-91 | Rutgers | 23-7 | 20 | NCAA First Round |
| 1989-90 | Rutgers | 20-10 | - | NCAA First Round |
| 1988-89 | Rutgers | 24-7 | - | NCAA Second Round |
| 1987-88 | Rutgers | 27-5 | 8 | NCAA Sweet Sixteen |
| 1986-87 | Rutgers | 30-3 | 5 | NCAA Regional Finalist |
| 1985-86 | Rutgers | 29-4 | 10 | NCAA Regional Finalist |
| 1984-85 | Rutgers | 19-9 | - | - |
| 1983-84 | Rutgers | 20-9 | - | - |
| 1982-83 | Rutgers | 19-10 | - | - |
| 1981-82 | Rutgers | 25-7 | 8 | AIAW National Champions |
| 1980-81 | Rutgers | 27-6 | 9 | AIAW National Tournament |
| 1979-80 | Rutgers | 28-5 | 8 | AIAW National Tournament |
| 1978-79 | Rutgers | 28-4 | 7 | AIAW National Tournament |
| 1977-78 | Rutgers | 16-12 | - | EAIAW Tournament |
| 1976-77 | Rutgers | 17-11 | - | EAIAW Tournament |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| 1975-76 | St. Joseph's | 18-3 | - | - |
| 1974-75 | St. Joseph's | 9-2 | - | - |
Timeline
- •March 19, 1972...Theresa Grentz helps Immaculata to victory over West Chester State, 52-48 in the first ever AIAW national title game ever held for women's basketball. The game is played in Normal, Ill.
- •March 24, 1973...Immaculata defeats Queens College, 59-52 to capture second AIAW national title.
- •March 23, 1974...Immaculata wins third straight national title.
- •January 17, 1975...In first game as head coach for Theresa Grentz, St. Joseph's defeats Delaware, 64-60.
- •August, 1976 ....Named Head Coach at Rutgers University as the first full-time women's basketball coach.
- •March 21, 1980... Grentz leads Rutgers to the school's first Elite Eight in the AIAW national tournament.
- •March 28, 1982...Rutgers defeats Texas, 83-77, for the AIAW National Title. Patty Coyle scores 30 points for the Macs.
- •March, 1986...Rutgers advances to its first NCAA Tournament and advances to the East Regional Final
- •April, 1988...Three-time All-American Sue Wicks wins multiple Player of the Year honors, including the Naismith.
- •September 10, 1990...Theresa Grentz named Head Coach of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Team
- •August 8, 1992...U.S. Team wins Bronze Medal Game with Cuba, 88-74.
- •January 17, 1994...Becoming the only unranked team to upset the country's number one team, Rutgers defeats top-ranked Tennessee, 87-77.
- •May 16, 1995...Theresa Grentz named sixth head women's basketball coach of the University of Illinois.
- •February 21, 1997...Illinois clinches its first ever Big Ten title.
- •March 22, 1997... Behind the three-point shooting of Krista Reinking, Illini nearly upset No. 1 Connecticut in the NCAA Regional Semifinal. That marked the first ever Sweet 16 appearance for the Illini.
- •March 16, 1998...Illinois defeats UC-Santa Barbara to earn its second straight NCAA Sweet 16 Bid.
- •December 18, 1999...With a 61-59 Illini win over Kansas, Grentz becomes the all-time winningest coach at Illinois.
- •June 9, 2001...Coach Grentz receives the highest honor with her induction in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
- •December 29, 2002...Coach Grentz records her 600th career victory -- an 80-68 victory over Auburn.
- •February 26, 2006...Grentz becomes the 10th coach in NCAA history to reach the 650 win milestone after a 67-57 win at Michigan.
- •March 7, 2007...Grentz win the WBCA's Carol Eckman Award, which exemplifies spirit, integrity and character through sportsmanship, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and commitment to the student-athlete.