Spring Break
Former assistant returns to Storrs as Temple coach
Brittany Perotti
Issue date: 3/19/09 Section: March Madness
Last year, Tonya Cardoza sat on the sidelines during UConn's run to the Final Four. In fact, she had been a key part of the coaching staff for 14 years helping to build the women's basketball program as an assistant coach.
She had won five national championships alongside head coach Geno Auriemma and went to eight Final Fours. She worked with All-Americans like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
In July 2008, she became Temple University's new head coach.
There, she led the team to a 21-9 record just a year after it lost in the NCAA Tournament first round, finishing 21-13.
It has been eight months since she packed up her bags and left small-town Storrs for the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.
Now, she returns to Gampel Pavilion at the helm of the Owls as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, she and her team will face No. 8-seeded Florida 30 minutes after the Huskies finish their first-round game against Vermont.
Kalana Greene said she thought that Temple would be a lower seed after its loss to Charlotte - which received an 11 seed in the Oklahoma City Regional - but was happy to see the team receive a higher placing in the bracket.
Lorin Dixon and Tina Charles also expressed excitement that Cardoza would return to Storrs for another game, even if she is on a different bench.
"Honestly, I think she should just be excited," Dixon said. "I don't see a reason why Tonya should be nervous. Tonya's a great coach, you know, when she was here from the year I've known her, Tonya did an amazing job with me and with everybody else. I think she should just be excited to come back. I'm sure UConn fans are going to have a lot of love for her, so I don't see any reason for her being nervous."
Auriemma, however, said that the announcement was somewhat anticipated because of a tipoff that there was a possibility Temple would indeed come to Gampel if it received an at-large bid.
"I'm really proud of Tonya; I was talking to her today and it's apropos, I think," he said. "I'm glad she gets to bring her kids into this building so that she can show them what she helped to build."
She had won five national championships alongside head coach Geno Auriemma and went to eight Final Fours. She worked with All-Americans like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi.
In July 2008, she became Temple University's new head coach.
There, she led the team to a 21-9 record just a year after it lost in the NCAA Tournament first round, finishing 21-13.
It has been eight months since she packed up her bags and left small-town Storrs for the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia.
Now, she returns to Gampel Pavilion at the helm of the Owls as a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. On Sunday, she and her team will face No. 8-seeded Florida 30 minutes after the Huskies finish their first-round game against Vermont.
Kalana Greene said she thought that Temple would be a lower seed after its loss to Charlotte - which received an 11 seed in the Oklahoma City Regional - but was happy to see the team receive a higher placing in the bracket.
Lorin Dixon and Tina Charles also expressed excitement that Cardoza would return to Storrs for another game, even if she is on a different bench.
"Honestly, I think she should just be excited," Dixon said. "I don't see a reason why Tonya should be nervous. Tonya's a great coach, you know, when she was here from the year I've known her, Tonya did an amazing job with me and with everybody else. I think she should just be excited to come back. I'm sure UConn fans are going to have a lot of love for her, so I don't see any reason for her being nervous."
Auriemma, however, said that the announcement was somewhat anticipated because of a tipoff that there was a possibility Temple would indeed come to Gampel if it received an at-large bid.
"I'm really proud of Tonya; I was talking to her today and it's apropos, I think," he said. "I'm glad she gets to bring her kids into this building so that she can show them what she helped to build."
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