There's been a strong continuity of MAC women's basketball coaches lately. For example: not a single change at any of the 12 coaches last year!
But we have our first casualty: Tasha McDowell was fired by Western Michigan after yet another losing season, her fourth in a row (8-22). Probably the right move. Her teams never won more than nine wins in a game, and her overall record through four seasons was 33-87.
For what it's worth, I'm not sure how many other coaches have the fortitude to tweet the link to their own firing:
How many people can say they got to live their dream?! Me! Thank you! wmubroncos.com/ViewArticle.db…
— Tasha McDowell (@CoachTasha) March 12, 2012
Furthermore, a stunning stat here by the Kalamazoo Gazette: the WMU team never had more than a two-game winning streak under McDowell. They also never cracked the first round of the MAC Women's Basketball Tournament and admittedly they were dealt a bad hand when senior leader Miame Giden went down with a season-ending injury in November. But there just wasn't any other improvement through those four years, and other teams have persevered with big-time injuries to top players. Examples this year include Akron and Toledo.
Since 1967, the WMU women's basketball program has had a total of five coaches. McDowell's tenure will be considered the shortest to date but they're by no means a storied program. They've got two MAC championships: 2003 and 1985. Sprinkle in a couple other WNIT appearances and that's about it. So that's what you're up against, Future WMU Coach!