A lot has changed in the last 91/2 years.

When Cindy Blodgett left the University of Maine in 1998, the All-American graduated as the school’s all-time leading scorer, having breathed new life into an always proud program.

She went on to play in the WNBA and other professional leagues, then joined the coaching ranks.

Tonight, Blodgett returns to Alfond Arena in Orono for the first time in a countable game as the head coach of the Black Bears in a 7:30 p.m. contest against Dartmouth.

It is her hope to again help propel UMaine to league dominance, regional prominence and national competitiveness.

“I want to win championships and that’s what we talk about,” she said. “Anything can happen, but our kids have to believe that it can happen.”

As the head coach, Blodgett’s role with the program has changed dramatically.

Listening to UMaine promotions and radio advertisements about Blodgett’s return, you can almost close your eyes and imagine No. 14 back on the Alfond Arena court.

That jersey is hanging from the rafters in the arena.

Blodgett, a Clinton native and former Lawrence High School star, is pleased UMaine is using her name to help promote the program. Even so, she isn’t sure everyone completely understands the transition that has occurred.

“People sometimes are referencing that I’m going to be playing in a game or be all-out practicing against the team,” Blodgett said. “They don’t realize that I’m removed from that.”

Blodgett must find new ways to make an impact other than sinking 3-pointers and making steals. Now, she has to make decisions on personnel, game strategies and a thousand other pertinent details.

The soft-spoken Blodgett maintains the calm demeanor that made her such a clutch competitor on the court. Her honest, straightforward approach and pleasant personality demonstrate she has come a long way off the court.

“I just don’t think people understand that I was away for 10 years and you grow,” she said.

After being saddled with expectations from coaches and fans, and the pressure of handling media attention, distancing herself from Maine in 1998 wasn’t a bad thing.

“People don’t understand the amount of pressure that I had as a player,” Blodgett said, referring specifically to how she worried about how all the adulation and media coverage might have caused resentment among her former teammates.

“I had that from the time I was 14 until I graduated,” she continued. “It drove me more inward [emotionally].”

Time, and her time away, helped Blodgett relax and get more comfortable with her life.

Over the years playing pro ball, Blodgett gradually sensed a change about how she viewed the game of basketball.

“My last year in the WNBA, sitting and watching I found myself looking at the game more from a coaching standpoint than as a player,” she said. “You do have to kind of look in the mirror and be honest with yourself. I knew I was just as replaceable as a lot of the players who were on WNBA rosters.”

And while Blodgett was perfectly happy as an assistant coach at Brown University, she couldn’t pass up the chance to return to her alma mater when the position opened up.

“This wasn’t my dream job. I wanted to coach, period,” Blodgett said. “It’s sort of a natural progression.”

Blodgett is too busy trying to rebuild the program to play much basketball, save for an occasional drill during practice. She hopes her natural competitiveness will serve her well on the Bears’ bench.