Is Wiggins the man?
Andrew Riggs / The Collegian
Senior point guard Mirenda Swearengin helped lead the Bulldogs to a WNIT sweet 16 appearance. |
By Darrell Copeland III
The Collegian
The team has done its part. Adrian Wiggins has done his part.
Now it is time to play the wait-and-see game as to who the next official Fresno State women’s basketball coach will be.
Despite falling in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament to Kansas State, Wednesday, the Bulldogs still managed to achieve the school’s best record in program history by two games, capping the season with a 24-8 record.
“This year was an awesome year,” junior guard Chantella Perera said.
In the midst of this history-making season for the Bulldogs, one thing has continued to remain in question — the head coaching position.
The current coach, Adrian Wiggins, has had the interim tag included with his name for the past year and a half.
With the season now at a close, Fresno State athletic director Thomas Boeh will conduct a national search to find a permanent coach. Wiggins has already put his name in the hat after submitting his resumé to the school Monday.
“I’m sure things will get settled soon,” Perera said.
The women’s basketball team has shown adamant support for Wiggins by having meetings with Boeh and collecting signatures on a petition vouching for Wiggins.
The Bulldogs have gradually improved as a team each year, and according to Perera, Wiggins is the man that can take the team to its peak.
“Yes, definitely,” Perera said. “We believe he’s the man that can take us there.”
Talk to Perera and you will hear about the impact Wiggins has had on the team, not only on the court, but off the court as well.
“He makes us better people,” Perera said. “It’s hard to find a coach who cares more about who you are than him. That’s hard to find in anybody.”
Many of Fresno State’s players come from out of state, or even country, creating that much more of a special bond between Wiggins and the players.
“I’ve developed a really strong relationship with him,” Perera said. “He’s a special man in our lives.”
There is no doubt that Wiggins is the man Perera and the women’s basketball team wants at the helm, but whether or not it will ring true is in the hands of the athletic department.
“I know each of us will respect the choice of the administration,” Perera said.
If it turns out that Wiggins has coached his final game with the Bulldogs, he has no doubt shared with the players his feelings for them.
“He’s obviously very proud of us,” Perera said. “It’s a mutual respect.”
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