The search for Dianne Nolan’s replacement as women’s basketball head coach is underway.
Nolan’s resignation last Tuesday prompted Athletic Director Gene Doris to contact ChampSearch, the head-hunting firm that helped the Stags select men’s basketball coach Ed Cooley last April.
“We are still in the preliminary stages of identifying candidates,” said Doris.
He also said that ChampSearch had revealed several possible candidates.
However, there is no time frame for hiring a new coach.
“We are looking for the right fit for Fairfield. We are not going to push it. Also, some of the coaches we would like to talk to are involved in the NCAA tournament,” said Doris.
As of press time, the remaining teams in the tournament were North Carolina, Tennessee, LSU and Rutgers.
The championship game will be played on April 3.
However, the coaching search will not be limited to the Division I level only.
Doris emphasized that the search is open across the board to anyone.
Joe Frager, the head coach at Division II national champion Southern Connecticut State, has been rumored in connection with the job.
He has transformed Southern Connecticut State into a national power with one of the top defenses in the nation – a transformation that was completed Sunday with a national title.
In addition, Frager is a former coach at Seymour High School, which could give him an edge in local recruiting.
Frager has never coached at the Division I level, but he could be a high-reward candidate if he pans out.
A long-shot, but again rumored, is Hartford coach Jen Rizzotti, a former WNBA and UConn star who was once featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
She may be too high-profile for the Stags to land, but she is a native of New Fairfield and the hometown job could attract her.
But it is highly unlikely that Rizzotti would leave Hartford, which fell one win shy of the NCAA tournament and landed a WNIT bid, for a program that has had far less recent success.
Another potential candidate is Tricia Sacca-Fabbri, who played at Fairfield and is now the head coach at Quinnipiac.
Fabbri is probably the safest bet of the bunch. She is a solid coach, but her record at Quinnipiac isn’t outstanding.
However, Doris again emphasized that the selection process is not limited.
“The job is not closed to Connecticut. It is totally wide open,” said Doris.
Doris said that he has had preliminary discussions with some potential candidates, but would not give any names.
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