The subject has been broached in conversation during the past couple of years. It’s just that former UConn national Player of the Year and current Hartford head coach Jennifer Rizzotti doesn’t allow herself to think about it much.
Rizzotti is being tabbed as Geno Auriemma’ successor at UConn in many circles. But as far as she’s concerned she’s more than happy where she is at this point. And so is the University of Hartford, who announced April 5 that Rizzotti, who first signed a contract in September of 1999, agreed to an extension that will keep her with the Hawks through the 2013-14 season.
Her previous contract, which was signed in 2006, was to run through the 2009-10 season and will be folded into the new deal.
“I don’t think about it a lot,’’ Rizzotti said. “It’s certainly talked about and probably more so as the years go by, but in my mind I have as much to focus on here. I really like my job here. I could’ve easily moved on years ago or whenever I wanted to and there’s a lot of reasons that I’ve stayed at Hartford, and a lot of them have to do with professionally it’s great spot for me. I love the support that I get here and personally it’s a great place for me too. Thinking about coaching at the next level is something that I think I want to do because I’m competitive and I’d like at some point to compete for a national championship. But I’m no in a rush to do it. So therefore I don’t give UConn’s job or any other job for that matter a lot of thought because I’m happy here and I feel like what will be will be. And I feel like he’s going to be there for a long time. No matter what he says about hating this and hating that he’s still getting the best players. And as competitive as he is he’s going to stay there until he gets as many national championships as he can. So if I felt like it was something that was going to happen in a year or two maybe I’d think about it more. And lastly, there’s a lot of good coaches out there and a lot of good candidates for any of those big time jobs. So I’m certainly not going to be one who would assume it would be mine. I would never be that arrogant. I love what I’m doing here and I’m glad that I’ve had success and I’m glad that I’ve been considered for some of these bigger jobs that have opened up in the last couple years. But I’ll always make the decision what’s best for me and I’m not going to look too far ahead. I feel like you’ve got to enjoy what you’re doing and what time you’re living in instead of looking too far ahead.’’
Rizzotti said she has never interviewed for another job. She fielded inquiries from Florida, Michigan and Penn State this past off-season, but she didn’t budge.
Rizzotti is in her 10th season at Hartford. She had compiled a record of 154-100 (.606), including a 10-2 mark heading into tonight’s game against the top-ranked Huskies at the building formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center. She has led the Hawks to two America East regular season championships, three conference tournament championships, three NCAA tournament appearances (2002, 2005, 2006) and one appearance in the WNIT (2007).
This season, with what might be her best team, she has the Hawks on the cups of breaking into the Top 25 for the first time. Life is good for Jen. Everything else out there can wait – for now.
“I get a lot of calls, let’s just say,’’ Rizzotti said. “I don’t pursue them to the point where I get offered anything. But I’ve gotten quite a few phone calls, especially this past year with the amount of openings that there were it was only natural that young coaches that have had success were going to get a lot of phone calls. But I haven’t pursued any of them very seriously. I’ve probably taken one or two phone calls over the past four year to other ADs. I usually let them know early where my heart is, and that’s here at Hartford and in Connecticut. Sometimes I feel like everyone thinks the grass is greener and I’m like, `well, I’m building a Top 25 program who has played in the NCAA tournament three times in the last five years and I think we have chance to advance in it.’ So there’s not a lot of other programs out there that can do that in the next couple years and I’m not in rush to leave that.’’
Rich
