Theresa Grentz

Theresa Shank Grentz

Current position
Title	Head coach
Biographical details
Born	(1952-03-24) March 24, 1952 Glenolden, Pennsylvania
Head coaching record
Overall	671-309
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame 2001 =2013 Joe Lapchick Character Award
Medal record Women’s Basketball Head Coach for United States Olympic Games 1992 Barcelona, Spain Team Competition Head Coach for United States FIBA World Championship for Women 1990 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Team Competition Head Coach for United States Goodwill Games 1990 Seattle, Washington Team Competition Head Coach for United States William Jones Cup 1985 Taipei, Taiwan Team Competition

Theresa Shank Grentz (born March 24, 1952), from Glenolden, Pennsylvania, is the former head coach of the women's basketball program at the University of Illinois, Rutgers University and St. Josephs. She is a member of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. Her career record is 671-309 and she served as a head coach for 32 years, with the last 13 as the Illinois head coach. She was the Olympic head coach in 1992; the team captured the Bronze medal in Barcelona.

Immaculata

Grentz(née Shank) intended to go to college out of state, but while a high school senior, her family's house burned down, losing everything, so she decided to attend Immaculata. There she played for the Mighty Macs and led the team to three straight AIAW National Championships between 1972 and 1974. The 1974 title game was the first ever live coverage of a US women's basketball game. She scored over 1,000 points, and earned First Team All-America status three times. Immaculata retired her jersey, number 12. She was named the AMF Collegiate Player of the Year.

During her four years at the Pennsylvanian college, the Mighty Macs won three AIAW National Championships, from 1972-74. Grentz scored more than 1,000 career points for the Mighty Macs and was named a first team All-American for three consecutive years. She was named the 1974 AMF Collegiate Player of the Year and had her No. 12 jersey retired by Immaculata.

Grentz played before the first ever television audience of women's basketball when Immaculata won its third title on March 23, 1974.

St. Josephs

After graduating in 1974, Grentz began teaching at an elementary school, while working as a part-time assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College, where she later became head coach and compiled a record 27–5 in two seasons.

Rutgers

Grentz coached future New York Liberty player Sue Wicks at Rutgers, where she became the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the nation. She led Rutgers to nine straight postseason appearances and a 434-150 (.743) record during her tenure and won the 1982 AIAW National Championship.

Grentz guided the Lady Knights to a 30-3 record in 1986-87 to earn the Converse National Coach of the Year award. She also has been named the March of Dimes Coach of the Year (1990–91), the Metropolitan Women's Basketball Association Coach of the Year (1992–93) and the Newark Star Ledger Coach of the Year (1985–86). In addition, Grentz has twice been named the Kodak District II Coach of the Year and was honored four times as the Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.

University of Illinois

Grentz retired following the 2006-07 season after 12 season with the Illini. She compiled a record of 210-156 at Illinois, including one Big Ten Championship (1997), two Sweet Sixteens and five NCAA Tournament appearances.

Grentz Elite Coaching

Grentz now owns her own Basketball Teaching Academy: Grentz Elite Coaching. It is stationed out of West Chester, PA. She runs clinics and camps around the country. Recent stops have included New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Maryland.

USA Basketball

Grentz was selected as the head coach of the team representing the USA in 1985 at the William Jones Cup competition in Taipei, Taiwan. The team opened with a lopsided 92–18 victory over the Philippines, then faced Sweden in the second game. The game was close in the first half, and the half ended with the game tied at 31 points each. The USA pulled out to a six point lead early in the second half but Sweden responded by scoring thirteen consecutive points to take a lead they would not relinquish. The USA team next faced undefeated South Korea. The game was tied again at the half, but this time the USA took a lead in the second half and held on to the lead for the win. They next played undefeated Republic of China and managed to come away with a win by the slimmest of margins, 56–55. After defeating Germany, they had another challenge from Canada, who raced out to a 42–30 lead by halftime. The Canadians still had a twelve point lead late in the game, but the USA mounted a comeback, and out scored their opponent 18–4 to win the game 65–63. After beating Brazil, they faced Japan in the final game of the competition. Japan was in the lead with five minutes to go in the game, but the USA came back to win with a two point margin 56–54. The win clinched the championship and the gold medal for the USA team.

Grentz served as coach of the USA team at the 1990 Goodwill games, and the 1990 World Championships. The 1990 team won the gold medal in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Grentz served as head coach of the 1992 Olympic team in Barcelona, which won the bronze medal.

Grentz had other USA Basketball experience. In 1981, she directed the U.S. Dial Junior National Team in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and the U.S. Maccabiah Team in Israel, where the team won a silver medal. Grentz coached the U.S. World University Games team in Toronto in 1989 before heading the 1990 U.S. World Championships team in Malaysia and the U.S. Goodwill Games team in Seattle. Both of her 1990 national teams won gold medals in their respective tournaments. In 1990, Grentz was the head coach for the USA National team at the World Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team, behind the 22 point per game scoring of Teresa Edwards, won all eight contests, with only the win over Cuba decided by single digits. The USA team faced Yugoslavia in the gold medal game, and won 88–78.

Records

The Grentz Record

Grentz's Overall Record: (33 years - 671-309)

Year	School	Record	Rank	Highlights
2006-07	Illinois	19-12	-	WNIT Second Round
2005-06	Illinois	16-15	-	WNIT First Round
2004-05	Illinois	17-13	-	WNIT First Round
2003-04	Illinois	10-18	-	-
2002-03	Illinois	17-12	-	NCAA First Round
2001-02	Illinois	15-14	-	WNIT Second Round
2000-01	Illinois	17-16	-	WNIT Second Round
1999-00	Illinois	23-11	-	NCAA Second Round
1998-99	Illinois	19-12	-	NCAA Second Round
1997-98	Illinois	20-10	14	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1996-97	Illinois	24-8	13	NCAA Sweet Sixteen, Big Ten Champions
1995-96	Illinois	13-15	-	-
-	-	-	-	-
1994-95	Rutgers	17-13	-	-
1993-94	Rutgers	22-8	-	NCAA First Round
1992-93	Rutgers	22-9	-	NCAA Second Round
1991-92	Rutgers	21-11	-	NCAA Second Round
1990-91	Rutgers	23-7	20	NCAA First Round
1989-90	Rutgers	20-10	-	NCAA First Round
1988-89	Rutgers	24-7	-	NCAA Second Round
1987-88	Rutgers	27-5	8	NCAA Sweet Sixteen
1986-87	Rutgers	30-3	5	NCAA Regional Finalist
1985-86	Rutgers	29-4	10	NCAA Regional Finalist
1984-85	Rutgers	19-9	-	-
1983-84	Rutgers	20-9	-	-
1982-83	Rutgers	19-10	-	-
1981-82	Rutgers	25-7	8	AIAW National Champions
1980-81	Rutgers	27-6	9	AIAW National Tournament
1979-80	Rutgers	28-5	8	AIAW National Tournament
1978-79	Rutgers	28-4	7	AIAW National Tournament
1977-78	Rutgers	16-12	-	EAIAW Tournament
1976-77	Rutgers	17-11	-	EAIAW Tournament
-	-	-	-	-
1975-76	St. Joseph's	18-3	-	-
1974-75	St. Joseph's	9-2	-	-

See also

• List of college women's basketball coaches with 600 wins

References

• Grundy, Pamela (2005). Shattering the glass. New Press. ISBN 978-1-56584-822-1.
• David L. Porter, ed. (2005). Basketball: A Biographical Dictionary. Greenwood Press. ISBN 978-0-313-30952-6.