Oregon State's first-time head coach believes the future will include success for women's programs

By Cliff Kirkpatrick
Corvallis Gazette-Times

CORVALLIS — As LaVonda Wagner walked through the halls of Gill Coliseum this week, she was frequently stopped by people for a moment of her time. Co-workers welcomed her to town, and fans said how impressed they are with her demeanor.

The new Oregon State women's basketball coach gladly took time for all of them. It wasn't just small-talk. Wagner cares for those around her — that's her style.

"She's very warm and gregarious," said Theresa Grentz, the Illinois coach Wagner worked under for eight seasons. "She'll even know who her night watchman is at her building."

That personality trait helped her move through the coaching ranks and gain the respect of players and peers. She's been one of the more sought-after assistants in the country for many years, before becoming OSU's fourth head coach last month.

Athletic director Bob De Carolis was taken aback by how she lit up the room in the initial interview. That one meeting, combined with the resume, turned his coaching search into more of a recruiting process with her as option No. 1.

Her attitude and drive have already energized the players on the team. Each of them considers this the most anticipated season since being here, even though the Beavers just suffered through a 6-23 season and finished last in the Pacific-10 Conference.

"We are just enthralled with her," junior forward Kim Butler said. "We are going to do anything possible for her. It's something about her. She's confident and she's honest. You can sense she cares about us."

Wagner, 41, began her journey to OSU in a close-knit neighborhood in Bristol, Va. She was the second of five children and was the oldest of three girls, so there was a strong bond with her two athletic brothers.

Since she hung out with them, they were an instant 3-on-3 team wherever they went.

"I've been interested in sports all my life," Wagner said. "The sport I really had a passion for was basketball. I was tall at an early age, so that worked. I also really liked playing against the guys. I did that a lot."

Boys in the neighborhood she grew up with went on to compete at the NCAA Division I level in various sports, and the NFL.

Street ball with family and friends helped toughen her to form a strong mentality she carries today. They wouldn't ease up on Wagner because she was a girl. Being their sister put a loving target on her back.

By the time she arrived at Virginia High, Wagner was already an accomplished basketball player. She added volleyball and track to her interests, and continued to excel.

Wagner's volleyball coach has been a long-time national volleyball official, so he helped her experience the high-end level of the sport. Her track coach became an assistant for the Olympic team, and gave her an understanding of intense training.

All those people were influential in Wagner's life and are still role models who she goes to for advice. They were also the ones who sent her down her career path.

"I always knew I wanted to coach at an early age," Wagner said. "I thought I would come back and be a high school teacher and high school coach. But once I went away for college I went into the college route."

Several Division I colleges recruited Wagner in each of her sports. However, coach Pat Sams of Mars Hill College in North Carolina gave her an offer that trumped them all. The NAIA school, at the time, gave her an opportunity to play all three sports.

Wagner ended up competing in volleyball and basketball. Mars Hill was everything she was looking for in a college. There was a strong physical education program, and a commitment to her.

She ended up as an NAIA All-American in basketball and school record holder in various statistical categories, many of which she still holds.

"The whole town, kind of what happened at OSU, recruited me to go there," Wagner said. "I was very impressed. I fell in love with the people and the coach was a dear friend of mine until he passed away from cancer. His wife and kids are still friends. They are still very supportive of me."

Sams helped Wagner start her coaching career at East Tennessee State as a graduate assistant for the volleyball team. She earned a master's degree in education there, but those two seasons on the court were the most valuable as on-the-job training.

"I learned a lot because I had to do a lot of things," Wagner said. "I was the only assistant."

When Wagner was sending out resumes for volleyball openings, East Tennessee State officials and coach Debbie Richardson asked her to stay, offering her an assistant job on the basketball team.

It was the turning point in her career, but an opportunity Wagner looks back on without any regret. With women's basketball on the rise and it being her favorite sport, it wasn't a hard sell.

"Basketball was my first passion, but whatever I commit to I go after 100 percent," Wagner said. "I got into basketball full throttle, but I'm still a huge volleyball fan."

Wagner quickly made a name for herself, becoming the recruiting coordinator for East Tennessee State in her four-year stint with the basketball team. Grentz, then the Rutgers coach, unsuccessfully tried to bring her to the East Coast.

They finally joined forces at Illinois from 1994-2002. Wagner started out as an assistant, moved to recruiting coordinator and then associate head coach.

"It was a great relationship, built on trust and loyalty," Grentz said. "I knew she would be a very good coach. When I first saw her, I liked the way she carried herself. She has an incredible presence. She has so many characteristics that you would want your own child to have."

Wagner took on all the responsibilities of a head coach, without the glory or headaches. She recruited, handled budgets, scheduling and promoted the program to sell tickets.

"It was a great experience for me," Wagner said. "I was very fortunate to work with coach Theresa Grentz. I was fortunate to learn from her, to build a program from the bottom up."

The Illini were in the cellar of the Big Ten at the time, but now Grentz is on the way to 600 career wins and is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame for the work done there.

Rebuilding that program was Wagner's greatest challenge in her career. However, that opportunity prepared her for dealing with what the Beavers face in the coming seasons.

"All the pieces weren't in place and we had to put them together," Wagner said. "We had to have the patience and fortitude to stay the course. At Oregon State, we have nowhere to go but up. We got to build to last."

During her time at Illinois, Wagner refined her people skills. The community became so interested in the program that Grentz was asked to speak at various functions. It became so much, she passed off half the work to Wagner.

It may have been a Kiwanis breakfast or a business woman's luncheon, but Wagner was there inspiring people and selling them on women's basketball.

There were many chances to leave Illinois for head coaching jobs, but nothing seemed right. She could afford to be picky.

Wagner wasn't even looking to leave. However, when Duke called, she listened.

"I was very happy, but I made the decision because it would make me better," Wagner said. "I took the position because if I couldn't find the head coaching fit I was looking for, I wanted to learn another system and work with another head coach (Gail Goestenkors) who was an outstanding coach and recruiter. I wanted to coach elite athletes."

So Wagner moved to the basketball Mecca of the college world — the Atlantic Coast Conference. She went to the Final Four in 2003 and helped a team that only lost an average of four games a season.

Her recruiting rapport expanded as she brought in three top-five recruiting classes, including the top one in 2003. That honest, friendly personality came into play there. Wagner says it's hard work, but building relationships is vital to her recruiting style.

"You must be persistent," Wagner said. "You need a plan to know what you are looking for. Identify needs and talent. You need to find out what people want and what they are looking for."

Her stay at Duke was only supposed to be two years, and the basketball community knew of her plan. Goestenkors felt a few years with her and Wagner could write her own ticket.

All of Wagner's offers after two seasons still didn't interest her, so she returned for one more season. She had waited a long time already, and wanted to make sure everything was perfect.

Her patience and strength kept her going. She attributes that to the upbringing of her parents.

"LaVonda has been ready to be a head coach for a couple of years," Goestenkors said. "She was looking for the right fit. I wasn't sad when that day came, because I knew it would come. She told me her goals when she first came here, and I wanted to help her. We helped each other."

As soon as the recent postseason began in March, Wagner's phone started ringing. Colleges were looking for her services again, but she still had her rigid criteria of what she wanted.

"Opportunities are wealth, and I was blessed to be able to choose what I wanted," Wagner said. "The definition of what I wanted is the right people, the right support and the opportunity to be successful. If you take those pieces you have Oregon State."

De Carolis lured her across the country with a five-year contract with a $140,000 annual base salary and several performance bonuses that will make sure it's at least $200,000 a year. It could reach as high as $300,000 at the tail end of the contract.

It's going to be a long process, like it was at Illinois, but it was De Carolis' commitment to winning and giving her the resources to be successful that made the difference when she made her choice of schools.

"I haven't moved around a lot," Wagner said. "I've been at three institutions. I'm not a person who hops around. I'm a very goal-oriented person. If I commit to something, I want to see it through."

That means OSU is not just a quick stop for Wagner. She's set her sights on conference titles and the Final Four. Those are big dreams, but she's serious.

Wagner inherits a program at the bottom of the Pac-10, but De Carolis contends that two or three standout players could turn the program around. So he went after the best recruiter available.

The team's top scorer graduated, and the remaining players were overmatched inside by most of the conference teams. Even if she finds those two or three players, it's going to take some time to challenge Stanford.

"She will not be out-worked," Goestenkors said. "She's meticulous. She has a great passion for the game. She's what Oregon State needs. She can bring in some good players and make an impact right away."

Now that the expectations are set high, Wagner has the players ready to prepare in the offseason. She'll evaluate them soon, and begin working out individually. She's even been recruiting since Day 1.

There will be an inside-out approach to the offense, and tight defense. Wagner promises a more athletic group next season. And that will come from newcomers or getting the most out of what's available.

"It's all her," junior guard Many Close said of the team's enthusiasm. "It's a spark. There's a fire you can see in her eye, this belief she has in us. She told us that she believed in us. She picked us. That shows us she really wants to be here because she cares about us and this program. So, how can you not want to play hard and not want to work for someone like that?"