I love all Syracuse sports, and I’m going to focus this column on the Syracuse basketball women’s team and its first-year head coach, former Orange star player Felisha Legette-Jack.
I follow any sport I can on social media and would go root for them to win no matter the sport. So this definitely includes women’s basketball and I love it equally as much as I do the men’s team.
Having said that, I will also preface this post with a couple of disclaimers that anyone who knows me on social media likely already knows. I wanted Felisha Legette-Jack to be the head coach at Syracuse basketball for a couple of years now and am glad it happened.
I also think it’s only fair that women coach women’s basketball when men only coach men’s teams (though maybe when Boeheim retires we could see a qualified woman get an interview at least).
We also have in common that we are/were caregivers for mothers with Alzheimer’s so I feel that makes me want to be in her corner more. Now having admitted to that since I’ve said it publicly in the past, neither of that impacts why I truly think it’s likely she will bring a championship to Syracuse one day in the future.
I like watching the games. I like watching press conferences on YouTube as often as I can for every sport I can. I like listening to Felisha Legette-Jack on Brent Axe’s show and in interviews. She has a natural personality that is fun to listen to while not shying away from any question. She’s made me a bigger fan since taking the job but even that’s not why I think she’s capable of winning a championship…well maybe in a way it is.
Felisha Legette-Jack is off to a strong start in her first season as the head coach of the Syracuse basketball women’s team.
As of this writing, in Coach Jack’s first season as Syracuse’s head coach, this team is 13-4 after defeating Boston College, 83-73, on the road this past Thursday night.
She kept last year’s star Teisha Hyman, a redshirt junior guard, and brought over great players whom she had at Buffalo, like senior guard Dyaisha Fair. The players who transferred to Syracuse basketball with her followed her because they believe in her and want to play for her. That’s a big deal when these players could have stayed In Buffalo or gone anywhere else if they didn’t.
Earlier I mentioned how I enjoy Coach Jack’s press conferences and media interviews. The reason I watch them isn’t just to see how she feels the team is doing but she is also fair and encouraging as well.
If the team does something wrong, she’ll admit it and say they’re going to work on it. She credits her players when they do well, too. This is why I think Coach Jack will be able to convince recruits to play for her and have the ability to recruit with anyone.
Younger players seem to want “player’s coaches” types and she has a touch of that while also working them hard and holding them accountable. She has a love and passion to also build this program into a family atmosphere where if your sister is down, you lift her up and together you get back in and fight back.
And if you’re the type who loves the blue-collar mentality, Coach Jack is your coach. She even has an Orange Hard Hat that she uses to award players who put in the extra hustle and personify that blue-collar, hard-work mentality.
In conclusion, Felisha Legette-Jack is not only the perfect person for the program but in my opinion, will be the coach to guide the program into championship contenders and regular tournament appearances.
Players will want to come here and their parents will want to know they’ll be cared for as well. Players will also learn about being quality students and people under Coach Jack, and my hopes are that with her success, the attendance numbers will grow and the Dome can become the home to multiple NCAA national championships.
She’s not building a team…she’s building a community where they are their brothers’ and sisters’ keepers but done so with love and support. Join the community and support this team now.