UCI hire has list of demands

Molly Goodenbour came to UC Irvine to embrace a challenge and the Anteaters’ newly hired women’s basketball coach said Wednesday her players should expect to be challenged by her and her future staff.

“I told them they were going to be challenged in ways they probably hadn’t been challenged before,” said Goodenbour, the 2008 California Collegiate Athletic Assn. Coach of the Year at Chico State, where she led the Wildcats to a school-record win total in a 28-6 season that included a conference title and the program’s sixth straight appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

Goodenbour, 36, a former All-American shooting guard at Stanford who played professionally in the WNBA, the American Basketball League and in Europe, met with six Anteaters players Tuesday, her first day on campus as head coach.

“I told them this next year would be their audition,” said Goodenbour, who was 52-11 at Chico State in her first two seasons as head coach at a four-year college. “I told them I would not tell anyone they could not come back, because I want to get a feel for what their strengths and weaknesses are and see what we have. Everyone starts out in the same place with me. We have no history. I think there is a team in there somewhere.”

The Anteaters, who begin preparing for next season on Sept. 15, have 10 players with remaining eligibility from last season, in which UCI finished 7-24. Foremost among the returners is senior Kelly Cochran, who averaged 11.5 points and 7.2 rebounds last season, when she received honorable mention in All-Big West Conference voting. Cochran was a second-team all-conference pick in 2005-06, when she made the Big West All-Freshman team.

Starting guards Rebecca Maessen (7.0 points per game) and Kirian Ishizaki (4.9 points and a team-best 2.2 assists per contest) are also set to return.

Goodenbour, who planned to interview Chris Ellis and Jessica Sell, both assistants under former coach Molly Tuter, as she prepares to name her three full-time assistants, said she has scholarships available, but has no plans to issue any for next season.

That could change, she said, should something arise, such as a commitment from Jade Smith-Williams, a first-team All-CCAA performer as a sophomore point guard last season at Chico State, who is weighing transfer options. Goodenbour said Smith-Williams had decided to leave Chico State for a Division I school before Goodenbour left the Northern California school. Smith-Williams was, in fact, already being recruited by UCI when Tuter stepped down.

Goodenbour said that since her appointment at UCI, she has spoken with Smith-Williams, who averaged 9.8 points, 3.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 34 starts last season, about attending UCI. But the player has yet to make a decision about her collegiate future.

If Goodenbour’s stint at Chico State is any indication, the future for some UCI players could be stormy.

Before, during and after Goodenbour’s first season at Chico State, five players left the team or were dismissed, including All-American forward Amber Simmons who transferred to Pacific. After the 2006-07 season, Simmons told school officials Goodenbour had verbally belittled and intimidated players.

After Goodenbour dismissed two players from the team midway through the 2006-07 season, the university investigated whether she was verbally abusing players.

Chico State Athletic Director Anita Barker remained supportive of Goodenbour during her tenure there and Goodenbour said she has learned from the experience.

Recent Chico State graduate Audriana Spencer, who said she would be interested in joining Goodenbour’s staff as an assistant, said she had a positive experience playing for Goodenbour. Spencer also said the contrast in styles between Goodenbour and the previous Chico State coach helped create some of the conflict between Goodenbour and the players who departed.

Paula Smith, associate athletic director and senior women’s administrator at UCI, said UCI was made aware during the hiring process of Goodenbour’s somewhat tumultuous transition that followed her arrival at Chico State.

“Our understanding was that the [Chico State] staff helped [Goodenbour] and they worked through it,” Smith said.

“I’m not the coach for everybody,” Goodenbour said. “I have a very black-and-white idea of how to run a program and it’s hard for me not to be who I am. If you are a player who is committed and believes in what we’re doing, you’re going to have a rewarding and fulfilling experience. There are other programs that are not as demanding as what I demand and that was kind of the case at Chico State. I had a very different style than the previous coach there and [that style] wasn’t for everybody The [roster] changes there were for the best. I learned how important communication is and that it is extremely important to have a supportive administrator. My athletic director there was very supportive of what I was trying to do with the program.”

Spencer said she expects Goodenbour to have success at UCI.

“I think she’s the perfect person to turn around a program,” Spencer said. “She’s not afraid to get players who want to do the same things she wants to do and she’s not afraid to show everybody how to win.”

Tony Pappas, who coached Goodenbour as a Parade All-American at West High in Waterloo, Iowa, was cited by Goodenbour as a leading influence on her as a coach.

Pappas said he remains a big fan of Goodenbour’s work.

“She’s probably the hardest worker and fiercest competitor I’ve ever coached,” said Pappas, still coaching in his third decade at Goodenbour’s alma mater. “She is really something special and I think she’ll do a good job.”

Goodenbour said that job will include inspiring the players.

“I don’t know what they did before, but we’re going to be demanding every day,” Goodenbour said. “They’re going to have to think every day, concentrate every day and give a great effort every day. We’re going to consistently demand excellence. There aren’t going to be a lot of peaks and valleys, where one day is hard and the next not so hard.”

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.