On The Ball

Chris Vozab Named as Women’s Basketball Coach

Basketball has always been a major force in Vozab’s life; in fact she can claim it’s in her DNA, as both of her parents were hoops coaches. Vozab’s father was a high school and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coach, and her mother coached at the AAU level as well. During college, Vozab herself was a four-year starter and three-year captain at Providence College in Rhode Island. After 10 seasons as an assistant coach, the New York native said she was definitely ready for the next step.Chris Vozab is expecting the 2012-2013 Georgia Southern University Women’s Basketball season to be extra special because it will be her first as the Eagles coach and her first as a head coach. Previously an assistant at the University of Dayton, Vozab replaced longtime head coach Rusty Cram, who resigned in March after 21 years with the women’s basketball program.

“When I decided to get into coaching pretty much right after my playing career was finished, it was definitely my dream to one day become a Division I head coach,” Vozab said. “As I became involved in the search process at Georgia Southern, I discovered that there was a tremendous amount of support here for all the athletic programs, including women’s basketball. I realized that it was the right fit for me.”

The new Eagles’ coach says building the team the way she wants will take work, but she believes her players can make the adjustment. The team finished last season with an 8-22 record and all of those players are returning, with the exception of two seniors who graduated. New to the team are four freshmen – two point guards and two forwards – recruited by the previous staff and 6-foot-2 forward Briana Jones, a transfer student from James Madison University signed by Vozab.

“We are fortunate that the team we have inherited certainly possesses some skills and some basketball smarts,” she said. “Our coaching staff is working really hard in recruiting to make sure we complement our current strengths. We will play with lots of pace, energy and aggressiveness. I believe that an attacking style will help our players have the kind of confidence to play their best.”

Vozab says she will bring structure to the team but does not want it to inhibit her players.

“Having been a player who went into coaching, I always try to remind myself, don’t ever forget what it was like to play,” she said. “I think it is something that is really important to our staff, to make sure we develop our players with the skills, so that when they get out there at game time they have the confidence and the freedom to go ahead and make those plays.”

The women’s basketball coach says her goals are to not only build a winning team but to turn out winning student-athletes.

“We talk with our team and to all of our recruits about ‘Rings and Diplomas,’ and how important that is to the Georgia Southern tradition,” Vozab said. “That is what we want for every young lady in our program – to graduate from Georgia Southern with a diploma and to have a ring for being a conference champion. That is our goal and what we are trying to build, and I believe that will be a product that our community will want to rally around and support.”

As for what type of leader her players can expect, the coach said, “I will be intense and will bring a highly energetic demeanor, but I am also a coach who will trust in our preparation level. We will work hard as a staff and a team to be as prepared as possible for every opponent, and that preparation level will enable us to balance our energy and intensity with poise and confidence. I am a big believer that a team adopts the personality of its coach, so I will be mindful to be the type of leader I want my team to emulate.”

Sandra Bennett