Talk about a transition game. At the drop of a press release, Michele Woods-Baxter found herself in charge of one of the nation’s elite women’s college basketball programs.
Two weeks ago, South Florida’s long-time coach, Jose Fernandez, announced he was moving on. A few days later he was in Dallas coaching a WNBA team.
Just like that, Woods-Baxter, the Bulls' associate head coach, was promoted to interim head coach. And Monday’s season opener against Florida International was only days away.
ALSO READ: USF women's basketball head coach Jose Fernandez leaving for WNBA
“Everything happened pretty quickly,” she said Friday during a preseason media conference. “The WNBA isn’t a traditional season like college basketball, so it was a fast turnaround, even for him.”
Surprised? No. Prepared? Absolutely.
“I've been here for 18 years and worked side by side with one of the best, most elite minds in college basketball,” Woods-Baxter said of Fernandez. “He gave me opportunities and responsibilities that many head coaches might not have, which allowed me to grow as a coach and prepare for this moment.”
Recruiting and developing talent
Woods-Baxter knew the day would come. She had often discussed the possibilities with her boss and was always in the loop.
“It’s bittersweet that he’s leaving us because we were very close, but I’m so happy for him,” Woods-Baxter said. “He’s not only been a mentor but also a dear friend.”
Long recognized for a global recruiting reach and developing talent, Woods-Baxter has played a key role in elevating the program. She has brought in seven five-star international players to USF since 2014 and guided standouts such as Courtney Williams — the program’s first All-American — along with Kitija Laksa and Maria Jespersen.
Williams and Laksa are in the WNBA, and several other Bulls have been drafted or signed by WNBA teams over the years.
ALSO READ: New coach, new roster, new season: Here comes the USF men's basketball team
Woods-Baxter appreciates the humongous sneakers she’s filling. Over 25 years Fernandez amassed 485 victories and 10 NCAA Tournament bids. USF was 23-11 last year and won the American Conference tournament to earn that 10th bid to the 68-team field.
Returning are senior forwards Carla Brito (9.2 points, 8.2 rebounds per game), a second-team all-conference selection, and L’or Mputu (9.5 ppg, 8.1 rpg), voted the American’s Most Improved Player last year. Woods-Baxter calls them the "heartbeat" of the team.
"It’s so special to have two people like that on your team who have your back and maintain great relationships with all the players," Woods-Baxter said. "They are South Florida through and through, and they’ve been here the longest — L’or’s going into her third season and Carla her fourth. In this changing world, that’s pretty remarkable."
Experience will come from some talented incoming transfers, including graduate student guards Katie Davidson, who earned All-Horizon League honors last year with IU-Indianapolis, and Edyn Battle, named to the All-Atlantic Sun team with Jacksonville.
ALSO READ: USF women win the AAC championship and return to the NCAA tournament
“It’s a huge challenge, but if you know our team and our culture, they’re ready for this,” she said of the team. “Nothing changes for them — the goals, the expectations. We’ve always won here.”
'Don't try to be him'
By the time Fernandez announced his WNBA plans, he and his USF staff had completed most of the preparation for the season, Woods-Baxter said. She plans few tweaks beyond adding a little more defensive pressure to rely less on half-court offense to “get into play faster.”
“Yeah, we’ve already put in our offense principles and all that stuff because he was here long enough to establish them, so I’m not going to change any of that,” Woods-Baxter said.
Fernandez remains a phone call away, but Woods-Baxter said he left some important parting advice: “Don’t try to be him.”
“The big thing with him is just to be myself and coach who I am,” Woods-Baxter said. “It helped calm me down.”
The opener against FIU tips off at 6 p.m. at the Yuengling Center on the USF Tampa campus.
