May 18, 2006
CSTV Video: Greg Amsinger's interview with Brenda Frese
By Jessica Garrison
CSTV.com
NEW YORK - Brenda Frese, head coach at Maryland, took a young squad on an incredible ride to the team's first national title by way of a 78-75 overtime win over Duke in the national title game. Wednesday, the 35-year old coach sat down at the New York Athletic Club, where she accepted the Winged Foot Award for her team's National Championship, to talk about her newfound celebrity, her team's chemistry, and the pressure of defending a title.
JG: Can you share your best anecdote from how your life has changed after the national title?
Frese: Well, I'm now receiving letters from people in prison. That has been kind of crazy, that amount of exposure. The amount of emails and letters that we've had - I got an email from a guy in Afghanistan and he had sent a picture where he was on a plane and had a little Terp stuffed animal tucked under his shoulder strap. Emails from Egypt, Pakistan. It's kind of surreal, to walk in here to the Athletic Club and see your picture. We just came from ACC media day, and at the end they showed us winning the national championship, with the confetti coming down and our kids going crazy. Those moments, it's pretty special.
JG: Do you feel like the glow of the title is already behind you, or are you still enjoying it?
Frese: I wouldn't say it's behind you. There are certain moments, you know, a picture that reminds you or someone who relives it through you. You're in the airport and people come up to you and tell you where they were and what they were doing when it happened. But obviously, the hype settles down. It took a good five weeks to get through everything, like the 650 plus emails, to get your life a little bit back in order. It's the new challenge of trying to balance a good mix of getting out there and speaking and at the same point being able to balance all your responsibilities.
JG: Has the title win increased your support from the Maryland administration?
Frese: The support has always been there. That's what made winning a national championship so special. The fact that four years ago Debbie Yow made me her choice, a former basketball coach herself and now we're winning a national championship together. One moment that stands out is that once I shook the Duke players' hands, the first group of three that I found was Debbie Yow, Larry Leckonby, our Senior Associate AD who we deal with every day, and my president, President Mote. That was my first group hug, I went to all three. Special moments that kind of stand out.
JG: This year, you all thrived on the "Overtime is our time" motto. Any early front-runners for this year's motto?
Frese: [laughs] No, not yet. It kind of develops and unfolds. That didn't really develop until our second overtime. A fan had made a sign, and our kids were like, "Did you see that sign!?" They were like, "Yeah, we do play harder in overtime!" It sorta took on a life of its own. Ashleigh Newman was the first one to talk about in January and February when we "go get our `Natty'". Everyone was like, "Natty!?" and she was like, "Yeah, National Championship!" She was the first one who caught on somewhere in ACC play, hey, yeah we are working toward "our Natty".
JG: With that kind of tight chemistry and so many returnees, is it going to be hard to bring new players in? Will they be welcomed?
Frese: They're very welcome. With the addition of [Tennessee transfer] Sa'de Wiley-Gatewood, there's the question of "Man, how's she going to handle the chemistry". I've never seen a kid more well-received and a kid that fits our personality. I give you an example - we gave the team a good chunk of time off after winning the National Championship to focus on their academics because we had missed so much and one day they went out and played kickball as a team, and that's something that Sa'de had mentioned, just being around a team that goes to play kickball. That's really how close they are. They love doing anything and everything together.
JG: Those returnees and that national title also mean there'll be plenty of pressure on this season. How do you mentally prepare your team for that pressure?
Frese: Just stay in the now, one day at a time. You've gotta place your own expectations and not the media's. We started out last preseason ranked 14th and understood it's not the preseason and not the rankings. We've got to come out next season and we've got to get better, be as hungry and work as hard and be focused. Too many things can happen within a season, injuries, your chemistry, your players, for how our young people are going to handle instant success. People say to me, you're so young, you've won a National Championship, what's next? And yeah, every coach who's in college coaching wants to win a national championship but that hasn't defined me. For me, I get to work every day with kids and help them become better. I think that's the big picture: to understand that I'm here just to help be a mentor to these kids and help them go through an experience just like we went through this season, a great experience. That's defined by who we are and what we're about.
JG: You're often defined as an energetic, even aggressive coach. Do you think that reflects who you are, or your style?
Frese: I think people see that side, but I'm a competitor, and I'm a worker. You can spin it however you want, but I'm going to work, and I'm going to outwork you as hard as I can. As a coach I'm going to understand game flows and moments and my kids and what needs to be done at the appropriate time. I've got to be able to motivate. The biggest thing is that my players know I'm not a coach that tears down, I'm a coach that builds up. If I can instill more confidence then that's what I'm going to do.
JG: Where did you pick up those lessons - how to read players, how to motivate them?
Frese: I've had some great mentors, but I also think that I'm constantly learning. I'm always going to keep learning. I learn from my players every day. I learn from coaches what I like to do and what I don't like to do. I just think there's so many hidden moments within a 24 hour day that you can learn about people and then decide what fits your personality and what defines you.
JG: Did you all benefit from being the dark horse in the Final Four, without any expectations on such a young team?
Frese: Oh yeah, absolutely. But I could tell from an early point in the season they were hungry and coachable, so excited for everything that you told them. We were mentioned but we weren't talked about. We were that "Honorable Mention" team. The fun thing was to go through a season like that and kind of sneak in the back door, so to speak.
JG: Do you feel like you've really found a coaching home at Maryland?
Frese: I made three moves in four years, so this is the longest place I've ever been besides college. Every move I made was the right move, a move up the ladder for coaching, and for the big picture. I want this to be my last stop; I hope Maryland allows that to come true. To be in the situation that I am in, your ultimate dream job, and to have this kind of support from your president, and the area, the conference, it's phenomenal, I pinch myself.
JG: With your two rings -- marriage and first title -- coming all in the same year, do you feel like there's any way next year can measure up?
Frese: It was pretty surreal, just personally and professionally, to kind of have everything line up. The biggest thing it's probably taught me is the balance. I've had the most balance I've ever had, and when you have a husband, you have that kind of support. Then to have the kind of team chemistry that we have on this team. That's what it's all about, every season I go into trying to have the best experience for our kids, and then you see how it unfolds. You can have your highs and lows - we had our highs and lows during our season, mainly highs. I want our players to go back after they graduate and remember all the special moments that we've had.
JG: What was the biggest special moment, the best game you coached in this year?
Frese: The best game we coached in was the championship game, hands down. I was thinking about that the other day, when you have all those special moments as a coach, though my career is young, you think of all the special games, and I wonder if the Duke game is ever going to be topped. I mean, the North Carolina game was special this year, it was pretty amazing, but it didn't have the pressure of the National Championship, and overtime to win it all. That one would be pretty hard to top.
