New coach greeted with great fanfare

This was a vacation worth interrupting.

Ginny Boggess and her wife, Kristin Krueger, were decompressing in Florida after the completion of another basketball season when Boggess gently told Krueger their trip was coming to an abrupt end.

There was a detour to…Cleveland.

On the first weekend of April, Cleveland was the center of the women’s college basketball universe, with Caitlin Clark, South Carolina, and Connecticut in town for the women’s Final Four, which doubles as a defacto convention for administrators and coaches.

Tricia Cullop left the University of Toledo for Miami (Fla.) the day before the semifinals, sending UT athletic director Bryan Blair into overdrive. The Mid-American Conference’s downtown Cleveland offices became the headquarters for Toledo’s coaching search. That’s when Boggess was asked to head north. She did three interviews over an exhaustive and exhausting four-day search.

“As it unfolded, I knew what I wanted to happen next,” said Boggess, who didn’t need any coaxing when the job was formally offered despite never stepping foot in Toledo.

On Tuesday, she was introduced to the university’s substantial and boisterous fan base during her introductory press conference on the floor of Savage Arena. A few hundred supporters showed up to listen to Boggess and meet the person replacing a 16-year centerpiece in their lives.

“I don’t care if anyone knows my name as long as they know our players and as long as they know the brand of basketball that we play,” Boggess said. “I just really see myself as a liaison between the community and the team, and I want to continue to put them front and center and make sure everybody knows who they are and what they’re about. And I just get to be their head coach.”

The 42-year-old West Virginia native is a 21-year coaching veteran. She spent the past three years at Monmouth, where she took the Hawks to the NCAA tournament in her second season, two years removed from a two-win season. She was previously an assistant, most notably at Penn State and Marquette. Boggess earned a reputation as a top-flight recruiter.

The hiring is the most important decision Blair has made in his nearly two years on the job. Women’s basketball is one of Toledo’s cornerstone programs, with unparalleled on-court success and fan support in the MAC. But the expectation to win was no greater than the demands of finding a worthy heir to Cullop’s throne. In her 16 years at Toledo, she became one of the most admired members of the community because of her warmth and generosity.

“There’s pressure because this is a big hire for our community,” Blair said. “But the great thing is it becomes a lot easier when you realize how good of a job this is and how attractive this is to so many people out in the landscape. Then you say, ‘OK, we filled in a really good spot because we’ve got a really, really good pool.’ Then it’s picking who’s the best fit, and we found the best fit.”

Toledo identified 30-plus candidates and conducted more than 10 interviews during its search. While Blair and his deputies attempted to pin down a coach, the UT women’s basketball team experienced a range of emotions — anger about finding out Cullop was leaving on social media, sadness about the reality of her departure, and angst regarding the uncertainty.

Blair asked for the team’s patience and trust. One week after sharing a tearful Zoom with Cullop, smiles and hugs were exchanged with Boggess on her first visit to Savage Arena.

“Once we got to meet her, it was a sense of relief,” fifth-year forward Sammi Mikonowicz said. “We are each other’s best friends, each other’s sisters. That’s what kept us together. We’re all here still. It’s very rare to see a head coach leave and all 10 of us stay.”

Nan Garcia already knew she liked Boggess because the former Penn State assistant recruited Garcia to play for the Nittany Lions. They spent one season together in State College before Boggess left for Monmouth and Garcia transferred to Toledo.

Now, they’re reunited in the Glass City.

“She’s a great human being,” said Garcia, who will begin and end her career alongside Boggess. “How things happen, it’s incredible. To be able to know my head coach is amazing. It’s exciting to already know the person they hired.”

The Rockets became acquainted with Boggess’ high-octane style during workouts Monday and Tuesday that left players short of breath. Coach and players will continue the get-to-know-you process during the summer. Soon, Boggess hopes to have her staff completed.

At least one assistant from Monmouth is making the move. Cullop assistants Ari Wideman and Jason Hardy remain at Toledo, but their futures are uncertain.

“Every level, every move in my career was never to prepare a shiny resume or to get the next job,” Boggess said. “It was always to prepare me for this moment. Every decision was not based on a salary or a title or a conference. For me, it was where I could go to use my gift to empower young women to reach for greatness.”

First, she has another destination to explore and a vacation to finish.

“I owe Kristin one,” Boggess said. “She doesn’t keep score. But she’ll probably cash in on this at some point.”

Contact Kyle Rowland at krowland@theblade.com or on Twitter @KyleRowland.