#Yolett McPhee-McCuin was officially introduced as the head coach of the Women’s Basketball programme at Ole Miss at a press conference in Oxford, Mississippi.
#“The number one goal for the program will be to be better every day, and be better tomorrow than we were the day before,” McPhee-McCuin said today. “That is the focus, and you will hear that a lot, that will be the staple: to get better. The people that I’m going to bring in here and the support that we have is going to put us in a situation where you will be able to witness the process of growth. Anytime that you come on and are building a program – by the way, this is prime real estate here at Ole Miss – you need to be focused on bringing people that understand to embrace the process of growth.”
#McPhee-McCuin made the Dolphins a dominant team in the Atlantic Sun Conference and finished with a 94-63 record (50-24 in ASUN play) and three postseason appearances.
#“When Ole Miss opened up, I was just blown away. I’m unfamiliar with the SEC as far as coaching in it, but I’ve been in the ACC, the Big East, overseas internationally, so I’m not unfamiliar to talent. When Ole Miss opened up I was excited because this is the SEC, it’s the best conference in the country. I do my research too, and this guy (Ross) is a phenomenal leader. His vision is infectious. It’s prime real estate. This is a place where we can do the unthinkable and the unimaginable. One of my good friends, Dabo Swinney, always everything is impossible until you make it happen. I’m excited about the challenge. When I took over Jacksonville, we didn’t have much. And I’m leaving it, I’m proud to say, way better than I found it.”
#Ross Bjork, Ole Miss Rebels vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics, said Coach Yo’s heritage and track record made her a top priority in the programme’s recruitment.
#“Coach Yo is a proven winner,” Bjork said today. “She is a recruiting machine. She develops players. These interpersonal relationships she will develop with her team is a must in college athletics today. She cares about academics. She’s disciplined. She has passion. She has integrity. And above all, she is a leader. The other thing that’s important, and we talked about this, (are) expectations for our basketball program. We also wanted a leader who has vision like we do, really someone who would grasp and have an energetic vision around our program and someone who saw the potential – just like on the men’s side. The other thing about it is that we have resources in place, and someone who could come in and capitalize on those resources was very important.”
#The Rebels ended last season with a 12-19 record and a second round loss in the SEC Tournament.
#“We’re not just hiring a basketball coach. This was a transformational leader who was born to do this and take our program to the next level. We have potential, we have history, we have to rejuvenate and restablish Ole Miss Women’s basketball and Coach Yo is the right person to do that,” Bjork said.