University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Upperclassmen and Familiar Faces Guide Radecki Into New Role
8/24/2018 1:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
HATTIESBURG, Miss. - The coaching turnover in college athletics is obvious. One coach leaves, another one comes in. And for the the Southern Miss volleyball team, they have gotten a front row seat to this process.
On December 17, Amanda Berkley was hired at Loyola-Chicago after five seasons as the head honcho for the Golden Eagles. To fill her position, the Golden Eagles selected Stephanie Radecki. Radecki, a 15-year veteran in the coaching ranks, was familiar with the turnover process. But this turnover process was going to be much different.
After all, it was 14 years ago that she last transitioned from being the Saint Leo University head coach to the University of North Alabama head coach and a lot changes in 14 years. There's a new crop of players with new tendencies, new systems and quite frankly, the college volleyball landscape had changed since she went from Saint Leo to North Alabama.
However, to her advantage, she brought along a staff that she knew like the back of her hand. That staff -- Jennifer McCall and Peyton Lang -- weren't strangers to her. McCall served as an assistant under Radecki at North Alabama for the past eight seasons, while Lang played under Radecki for three seasons before transitioning to a graduate assistant on her staff at North Alabama in 2017.
"I felt very comfortable entering into this new journey with a staff that understands who I am as a person, and a coach," Radecki said. "Our staff has seen success together and we also enjoy each other. Most importantly, I trust them and I know they are loyal. That is something I needed heading into this new position."
Despite having such familiarity with her coaching staff, the transition wasn't all sunshine and roses. Radecki might have been familiar with the staff, but she still had to familiarize herself with the girls she'd be going to battle with.
Again, to her advantage, she had most of the 2017 team returning. The Golden Eagles only lost two seniors, meaning most of the core leaders were returning.
Two big contributors to that were seniors Sarah Bell and Kylie Grandy, both of which received Preseason All-Conference USA honors. Radecki welcomed any and all conversations with the team, but Bell and Grandy, along with the whole team, were able to sit down with her and take her suggestions in stride.
"We were open to whatever and she was really successful at UNA, so we knew the way she was doing things were obviously working for a reason," Bell said. "If we want to have a good season, then we have to follow what she's done in the past since she's been so successful."
Like Radecki said, it was a learning experience for her, but it was also a learning experience for most of the players. Neither Bell or Grandy had previously been through a major coaching change. Of course it helped that Radecki was coming as a veteran, but it would still take time to gel into one.
"I had an open door with the them and they came in and talked," Radecki said. "I think we've been given a great opportunity at Southern Miss.
"The girls know what they want to accomplish and the upperclassmen have really made them understand what that is"
Aiding the transition was the fact that Radecki and her staff arrived in Hattiesburg in time to work with the team during the spring season. Any potential wrinkles were straightened out then, rather than having to do so on the fly during the regular fall season.
"It was good that we got all spring with them because if we had just started fresh with them right as fall started, we would have had a lot to catch up on," Bell said. "All of us got to know their systems and how they like things.
"It was a nice little transition period. She let us adjust and acclimate, she wasn't just like 'this is how things will be right away.'"
Whenever you make a debut, jitters could be expected, but Radecki doesn't have any. She just wants to get out on the floor with her team and win. More importantly though, her team wants to prove to the the fans what kind of coach she is.
"A lot of people don't get to see practices and what we do [in the gym]," Grandy said. "If we get on winning streaks, then that will help people see the changes that she's made to the program and all of the positive impacts that she's had and that she's a very good, intelligent coach."
Not only does the senior class want to go out with a bang, they want to welcome Radecki and her staff with one.
"This is our last Southern Miss tournament playing in the coliseum; it's kind of crazy," Bell said. "We want to make the best of this season and take every opportunity we get to play. Just doing it for her as well is a bonus."
