Neumann Named Head Coach | Video

Scott Westerburg | 10/15/2012

Just two weeks before the start of practice, the University of Mary had to replace its women`s basketball coach when Fred Fridley decided to step away from coaching. The clear successor was assistant Rick Neumann, and today he was officially recognized as the new guy in charge of the Marauders.

"Just a place that means so much to me, so it`s certainly with a humble heart and an attitude of service that I stand before you today to become the eighth women`s basketball coach at the University of Mary," he said.

Neumann has been with the Marauders as an assistant for the previous nine seasons and in a career where frequent movement is possible, Neumann found a place to call home.

"I`ve always had friends in the coaching field ask, `Boy, an assistant coaching job is upwardly mobile and you just keep hanging around, so either you`re not very good and nobody wants to hire you or you really love the school,` and to me it was clearly the latter."

Coach Neumann`s popularity with his former players can be summed up fairly simply.

"Yesterday, I was two short of all the girls that have played for us in the nine years here. I heard from all but two and this morning those two got ahold of me. One girl was getting married on Saturday and still called and said, `Hey, good luck, go get `em, I`ll be at the games.` So to have 100 percent of former players call and congratulate you and say they`re happy the program stayed in the family, that`s what it`s all about."

With the start of the season fast approaching Coach Neumann needed to fill out the rest of his staff in a hurry. It`s a process he explained to Father Shea.

"You`ve got a real good handle on Catholism. I`ve got a decent handle on basketball, but right now it`s kind of like asking you to take a Muslim, convert him to Catholism and have him ready to teach a CCD class in four days. Father Shea`s extremely talented and could probably pull that off, but I`m not quite there yet."

Coach Neumann has a couple assistants in place, and now it`s time to get to work.

"Our girls are excited. We`re a veteran club. We got a good crew. We`re going to get it figured out and while it might take us a little while, I truely think this is a case where we will be much better at the end then we are at the beginning."

And the beginning for Coach Neumann and the Marauders is just 21 days away. The Marauders begin the season with an exhibition game against Concordia College on November 5.

COMMENT ON THIS STORY

FEATURES AND PROMOTIONS