When associate coach Pokey Chatman’s name is mentioned, head coach Sue Gunter’s face lights up.
She smiles and says the first thing that comes to her mind.
“The best point guard I’ve ever coached.”
In truth, Chatman has given nearly 16 years of service to the LSU women’s basketball program as both a player and coach.
From 1988-91 Chatman led the Lady Tigers to the NCAA Tournament four times, including two trips to the Sweet 16.
Chatman failed to start only one game in her career on her way to becoming LSU’s all-time steals (346) and assists (570) leader. She is also in fifth place on the career points list with a total of 1,826.
“I don’t think I’ve had any player at anytime that had more respect from her teammates than Pokey,” Gunter said. “She was the consummate point guard. Most of your really outstanding point guards are like another coach on the floor.”
Chatman was given the Pokey nickname that has since stuck for a specific reason. She said she had the advantage mentally on the court, where she did not enjoy the same advantage physically.
“I had to be, mentally, one of the best point guards because physically I wasn’t gifted,” Chatman said. “I didn’t run fast. ‘Pokey’ was true. I wasn’t slow, but I wasn’t fast.”
Gunter said Chatman always mentally played out situations on the court.
“Pokey played the game one possession ahead, in other words, she always knew something occurred on the floor,” Gunter said. “In the next possession, if the same type of opportunity presented itself, she knew how to react.”
Chatman started her coaching career as a student assistant in 1992. She was promoted to assistant coach in 1993 before attaining another move up to associate coach, a position she has held since September 1999.
She gave some thought to playing basketball overseas when her eligibility was up, but she also thought about coaching and decided to go through the coaching ranks.
“When I played in college, I coached an AAU [Amateur Athletic Union] basketball team,” Chatman said. “I started coaching 12-year-olds, and I really enjoyed it. I didn’t think about coaching until my junior year.”
One of Chatman’s responsibilities is recruiting. Evidenced by the past recruiting classes, Chatman has established herself as one of the nation’s premier recruiters.
In the last three classes, Chatman has helped net the Hodges twins, Roneeka and Doneeka, point guard Temeka Johnson, forward/center Aiysha Smith, forward Wendlyn Jones and the biggest catch of them all, Seimone Augustus.
All are playing a big part in this year’s success.
“I think sometimes I get too much credit for that, but a lot of it, when you get to this level, is how successful the program is going to be,” Chatman said. “I just stay at it, there’s nothing magical about it.”
Augustus said Chatman recruited her the right way.
“She really was just a good friend,” Augustus said. “Before the recruiting process, we were friends. Once the recruiting did start, it was more like family. It was not like all of the other recruiters that would just call and tell stories about their school and everything. Everything she said was real, and I could feel that it was real.”
Chatman also offers her expertise to the guards on the floor. She said she helps Johnson with the mental aspects of the game since Johnson is so physically gifted.
Chatman has taught Johnson about leadership.
“Just stepping up whenever I need to,” Johnson said of what she has learned about leadership from Chatman. “I don’t score as much as I should, but if the team needs something, I guess they look for me to carry the team and do what I’m suppose to do. It comes with the territory.”
Chatman said she wants to be a head coach, but she wants the right fit.
“It’s not something I talk about a whole lot,” she said. “But I would be fooling myself to say that it’s not something on my mind. It’s not going to be any head coaching job, it has to be the right one.”
Gunter said there is no doubt in her mind Chatman will do well when she becomes a head coach.
“She’s going to be an outstanding head coach,” Gunter said. “The type of experience she has had as an assistant coach here, there’s no part of coaching she hasn’t had to do. She’s going to be dynamite.”