Santa Clara hires GU's Jennifer Mountain

[Angelo Roncalli]

Very sorry to see Jennifer go, but wish her the best as she begins her career as Santa Clara's new WBB coach.

Santa Clara has found a new women's basketball coach, and it went to the best program in the conference to do it.

The Broncos will introduce Jennifer Mountain, who played and coached at Gonzaga, at a news conference scheduled for Wednesday morning at the Leavey Center.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_8934166

[Oldsport]

Click!!! The lights just came on for Santa Clara!

Congratulations Jennifer Mountain! We love you and will miss you! Your efforts at GU were wonderful. The best of luck at Santa Clara next season.

On a sad note, the WCC just got tougher for GU next season. If this is true, it's o.k. because we will be better next year. Our team always works through problems and gets better. With an odd twist, Jennifer may help our Lady Zags get to the "sweet sixteen" next year. We'll see!

[BobZag]

Congrats to Jen. SCU got a good one.

Still, I wish she had stayed.

But Kelly is staying so Jen had to make a move.

[mcdiehard]

Best of luck to the ladies down at Santa Clara. Jen worked us hard as our coach at St. George's-- I'm sure she'll bring the same fire to the job down there. As Bob said, they got a good one.

[MickMick]

I wonder if other WCC programs are hoping to replicate the magic in San Diego's hire of Bill Grier? Regardless, Mountain (like Grier) was probably due.

[Oldsport]

4/16 Spokesman Review, Mountain Takes Over S C.

Article by Dave Trimmer

Jennifer Mountain - "It will be a challenge to build a program like Kelly and I did at Gonzaga. I want to recruit the same type of players. Hopefully I can pull a couple of recruits away from Kelly."

What are the ethic's here? Was Jen kidding? If she wasn't, then I have a problem with the statement. GU paid Jennifer to recruit for the university. Surely coaches are under contract. The contract must stipulate what will take place when a coach leaves a program. The recruits mentioned could not be the 2009 recruits because of their letter of intent. Are 2010 recruits protected as far as a former coach luring them away? Is there a cutoff date or just any prospective player that Jennifer contacted on behalf of GU? In the business world, a salesmen under a employee contract, cannot contact his old customer base for three to five years after leaving a company to go and work for a competitor.

Am I nuts? What does the community have to say?

[USDGUY]

Article by Dave Trimmer

Jennifer Mountain - "It will be a challenge to build a program like Kelly and I did at Gonzaga. I want to recruit the same type of players. Hopefully I can pull a couple of recruits away from Kelly."

What are the ethic's here? Was Jen kidding? If she wasn't, then I have a problem with the statement. GU paid Jennifer to recruit for the university. Surely coaches are under contract. The contract must stipulate what will take place when a coach leaves a program. The recruits mentioned could not be the 2009 recruits because of their letter of intent. Are 2010 recruits protected as far as a former coach luring them away? Is there a cutoff date or just any prospective player that Jennifer contacted on behalf of GU? In the business world, a salesmen under a employee contract, cannot contact his old customer base for three to five years after leaving a company to go and work for a competitor.

Am I nuts? What does the community have to say?

The business world and college athletics differ greatly. While I understand your feelings, recruits who haven't sigend an LOI or NLI are not bound to honor their verbal commitments. If a player verballed because of Jen, they may want to follow her to SCU instead of GU. I have no idea if that is the case.....but sadly the the way it is I think.....

2009 recruits cannot sign LOI's till this fall in November 2008 for the early signing period so it could very well be 2009 recruits....coaches contracts cannot stipulate what you are asking for.....no one coach would ever sign such an agreement....

[Once and Future Zag]

The only companies that would really put out non-competition agreements for sales positions are the ones that are afraid to compete for the customers on a level playing field.

It may be the "way it works" but that doesn't mean it's good for the customers in the end.

[RenoZag]

Sounds like she's saying she hopes to out-recruit Graves, not steal previous commits. . .

[GoBulldogs]

While I'm a little worried about a Zag becoming a Bronco, congrats to Jen and I wish her all the best.

[MJGoGaels]

Article by Dave Trimmer

In the business world, a salesmen under a employee contract, cannot contact his old customer base for three to five years after leaving a company to go and work for a competitor.

Am I nuts? What does the community have to say?

You see that in many handbooks and separation agreements, but they are legally not enforceable as a general rule.

[EngineerZag]

Relax, guys. I doubt she would have publicly said that unless she was just kidding and needling him a bit.