Our Opinion

Interim coach deserves permanent post

IN A FEW months, the college basketball season will be over and the Fresno State athletic program will be searching for a permanent head coach for the women’s basketball team.

The problem is, the coach they need is already in place. Adrian Wiggins, the current interim coach of the women’s basketball team, is the exact fit the Bulldogs need and the coach that athletic director Thomas Boeh needs to hire.

Boeh said a national search for a head coach is required, and Fresno State will no doubt follow the rules accordingly. There is no problem with the Fresno State athletic department complying with the rules, but the person most fit for the job already has his nametag on his desk — Adrian Wiggins.

In his first full season, Wiggins and his staff have guided the Bulldogs to a 20-win season, and still has a chance to equal the program’s all-time record of 22 wins.

Overall, Wiggins’ interim head coaching record stands at 27-10 and includes Fresno State’s first ever win over Louisiana Tech in women’s basketball history. Louisiana Tech is currently ranked No. 20 in the national poll.

Never has there been a coach who has received so much support from his or her team than Wiggins. The Bulldogs women’s basketball team has not been shy about their support, holding meetings with Boeh in addition to gathering a collection of signatures by fans and the community by way of a petition.

EVEN WHILE ON the court, Fresno State players are supporting Wiggins, wearing tape and bands on their legs showing support for Wiggins and his staff.

The staff has come to be known as the “Fab 5,” and includes assistant coaches Brett Frank, Calamity McEntire, Drew Champagne and basketball operations coordinator Nathaniel Meraz, in addition to Wiggins.

It is no secret that a goal of the Bulldog athletic department is in dire need of coaches who can win and run a violation free program, such as the recent men’s basketball hire, Steve Cleveland.

Wiggins is the women’s basketball version of Cleveland, as he is a winner, family man and dedicated to the goals the athletic department gives to its coaches.

The Fresno State athletic department can look for another coach to unseat Wiggins as much as they would like, but no matter what, the most deserving fit for the Fresno State women’s basketball head coaching position will continue to be Adrian Wiggins.

Comment on this story in the News forum >>