UM’s Trish Roberts Memphis St. finalist

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Trish Roberts, who for the last three years has coached the University of Maine women’s basketball team, is believed to be the frontrunner for the vacant head women’s basketball coaching position at Memphis State University.

Nick White, Memphis State’s NCAA faculty representative and the chairman of the search committee, confirmed that Roberts was interviewed on Thursday in Memphis.

“We have interviewed several outstanding candidates including Trish Roberts, the coach at the University of Maine,” White said. “She’s very first-rate and I’m very sure that (the school) is interested in a person of her caliber.”

The Commercial Appeal, Memphis’ only daily newspaper, said it was expected Roberts could be named to replace Mary Lou Johns as Lady Tigers head coach as soon as Monday.

Johns, who coached at MSU for 20 years, did not have her contract renewed after her second consecutive 6-22 season.

The Appeal, in its Friday morning edition, was reporting that Roberts, Gaye Griffin, and Joye Lee-McNelis were the three finalists for the position. Griffin is head coach at Northeastern Oklahoma State, an NAIA school, while McNelis is an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi.

Betty Booker, a former MSU star and a Tennessee high school coach, also had her name surface in Memphis television reports on Thursday night.

Roberts, however, was the only coach with Div. I coaching experience.

Neither Roberts or Maine AD Kevin White could be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

MSU’s White added that while he could confirm that Roberts was interviewed on Thursday, he “couldn’t” say if Roberts was the committee’s No. 1 pick.

“We met with her today and we’re very interested,” White said. “She’s got the most experience as a head coach, but it’s a tough decision because we’re moving into a new conference. But she (Roberts) is one of the top four.”

The Commercial Appeal also confirmed an unpublished report which said Roberts had been interviewed for the post while attending Saturday’s NCAA women’s Final Four in New Orleans. According to the newspaper, Pat Summitt, head coach for the national champion Tennessee Volunteers and Roberts’ collegiate coach, had called Lynn Parks, MSU’s assistant athletic director for women, recommending Roberts for the job.

“We’re still in the process of figuring out what route we want to take,” said Parks. “Hopefully, we’ll know something by the first of the week.”

The Commercial Appeal was looking into a rumor which maintained Roberts was going to be named the new coach on Friday.

Regarding the rumor, Parks said, “I don’t think we’re ready to make any type of decision at this point.”

When asked if she was confirming or denying the claim, Parks answered, “It’s just what I said.”

Calls to the UMaine women’s basketball office yielded no clues to Roberts intentions.

“I have no idea,” said assistant coach Sandy Thomas. “She wasn’t going to be in (her office) today.”

When asked if Roberts had tendered her resignation, Thomas replied, “I don’t believe so.”

Maine President Dale Lick, who coincidentally was recently a candidate for the Memphis State president’s job, confirmed that schools were approaching Roberts concerning open positions.

“I had an indication that one or two schools were going to approach her,” Lick said. “I didn’t know how serious it was. Last year, for example, several schools approached her, but she only talked to one. That didn’t work out and we were delighted to have her back.”

Roberts was a finalist last year for the University of Minnesota head coaching post.

Lick said that Roberts leaving would be a major loss for the women’s basketball program.

“It would be a tremendous loss for the University of Maine should she leave,” Lick said. “She’s been an outstanding coach and a wonderful role model for as long as she has been here. But, I have to say, that I’ve always been worried having somebody with national visibility and high qualities. Too many good schools are looking for good coaches.”

Roberts replaced Peter Gavett as the head coach of the Maine women in August 1988. During her three-year tenure as head of the Black Bears, Roberts has posted a 63-23 record (.733) and her team has won two consecutive North Atlantic Conference championships.

The team was bypassed for NCAA tournament bids both years, however, but in 1990 Roberts and the Bears went to the National Women’s Invitational Tournament in Amarillo, Texas. It was the first time any Maine basketball team had been invited to a postseason tournament.

In June of 1989, Roberts signed a three-year contract which runs through the 1991-92 season.

Before arriving at Maine, Roberts had been an assistant coach at North Carolina, Central Michigan, and Illinois.