The University announced Wednesday the hiring of Van Chancellor as the new women’s basketball coach. Chancellor, former coach of the WNBA Houston Comets and the University of Mississippi Rebels, replaces former coach Pokey Chatman as the leader of the Lady Tigers. Chancellor has tallied nearly 700 wins among his college, professional and international coaching endeavors. His achievements include four WNBA championships, three WNBA Coach of the Year awards, three NCAA Women’s Tournament Elite Eight appearances, three Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year awards and a 38-0 record as coach of the United States Olympic Team. Chancellor is also a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame. The gold medal-winning coach said he is honored to take control of former coach Sue Gunter’s program. He said Chatman did a great job as a player and a coach, and her remaining staff did an “unbelievable” job to reach their fourth consecutive Final Four this season. Chancellor said he wants to do more than reach his first Final Four in Baton Rouge, and he implored the 12-player roster to help him reach his goals. “I do want to win a championship,” Chancellor said. “I want to go to one [Final Four]. Please, players get me there – whatever we’ve got to do.” Chancellor said success depends on the roster he works with daily. “The secret to coaching is loading the bus with good players,” Chancellor said. “That’s just the way it is.” Chancellor responded to reports suggesting his age and energy level could hinder his coaching and recruiting abilities. “I’ve got a lot of energy,” Chancellor said. “I may be 63, but I feel like I’m 50, and I’m act like I’m 35. So I’m ready to roll.” Chancellor said he does not look at the head coaching position as a high-pressure environment. “There is no pressure,” Chancellor said. “I’ve got one of the two best players in the country. I’ve got great players right here in this room. If I didn’t have any players, and you were expecting a lot, that would be tough. I don’t mind that. I came here knowing what the pressure would be.” Chancellor said he intends to correct free throw shooting, an area he identified as a weakness during this postseason. LSU Athletic Director Skip Bertman said Chancellor’s resume speaks for itself. “I think it’s very easy but also rare to introduce somebody that has the credentials of this particular coach,” Bertman said. LSU women’s Athletic Director Judy Southard said Chancellor was cut out to lead the Lady Tigers. “From the very outset it has been one of the most important criteria for the candidate of choice here, and that is the fit,” Southard said. “Van Chancellor, aside from all else he brings into the position, is a great fit for Baton Rouge, LSU and our women’s basketball program.” Southard said Chancellor was chosen for his SEC experience, energy level, work ethic and engaging personality that will appeal to players and fans. Southard said the hiring process began in earnest immediately after Chatman’s resignation. She said 11 candidates were identified and reviewed through conversations with respected figures in college basketball, both prominent and behind-the-scenes personnel. Southard said fans and boosters were also consulted before choosing three finalists. Once the three finalists were selected, phone interviews were conducted. Southard said Chancellor was the front-runner throughout the process. “Van Chancellor is the right person at this time in the history of this program to lead us to the next level,” Southard said. University Chancellor Sean O’Keefe said LSU has hired one of women’s basketball’s pioneers. “There is no finer or more extraordinary leader that we could have selected – an individual with a very strong track record who has been there, done that … who knows exactly what it takes to win and to bring out the greatest potential that our tremendous student athletes on our campus have,” O’Keefe said. O’Keefe thanked Southard for her diligence in finding Chatman’s successor. He said her position as chairman of the NCAA Women’s Tournament Selection Committee placed Southard in an excellent position to get feedback in LSU’s coaching search. “We could not have been more fortunate to have someone with the skill set, the experience, the real understanding she has of this sport [in that position],” O’Keefe said.
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