Gaining comfort and patience
John BrumbaughSue Guevara said her patience has increased in her second season.
In Guevara's first season at CMU, she led the team to a 6-23 overall (2-13 Mid-American Conference) record. This season, the team has doubled its win total and currently stands at 12-9 overall (4-3 MAC).
"I am still very intense and I take it very seriously but my life doesn't depend on it anymore," said the women's basketball coach. "I have learned to appreciate more where I live and I like the size of the university. It is more of like a family type university."
And she has done her best to motivate her returning players, especially the seniors who had endured three consecutive losing seasons.
"Last year I asked kids like Luckett and Chan what they wanted their legacy to be when they left here," she said.
Guevara said the team has the pieces in place to do something it has yet to do in the last 24 years - win a MAC Championship.
"I remember the day of MAC Championship teams with Sue Nissen so I know it is possible," she said. "Recruiting Michigan players really helps because the state of Michigan is a state with good basketball players. I know it is possible to get back to the glory days of MAC Championships."
Guevara became the women's basketball team's 10th coach when she took over for Eileen Kleinfelter in April 2007. While there still are some players left from the Kleinfelter era, Guevara is now getting a glimpse of the first group of recruits she has added to the program.
"I don't like to think that they aren't my recruits," Guevara said. "I may not have brought kids like Latisha Luckett and Angel Chan into this program, but I feel like they are my kids. I think our players understand what we want as a staff and they are doing it. Those are our kids; we may not have brought them here but we want to keep them here and make sure they have a good experience here."
Players like junior Britni Houghton, who was recruited by Kleinfelter and have played for both coaches, feel like they are ahead of where they were before Guevara took the position.
"We are 10 big steps ahead of where we were before coach Guevara came here," Houghton said. "We know that she is legit, we already had the confidence because she has been to the bigger schools. We know she knows what she is doing."
When Guevara accepted the head coaching position, she brought an extensive resume which featured holding the head coaching position at the University of Michigan. Guevara says that even though there are differences between CMU's squad and her old team at Michigan, the goal is still the same and just as attainable.
"When I took over the program at Michigan, one of my goals was to make sure we beat every team," she said. "We beat every single team in the Big Ten. Just like here, beating Eastern [Michigan] at Eastern and beating Western [Michigan] at Western was big for our program because that hasn't happened."
Her time in Michigan saw her become UM's all-time winningest coach both in total wins (123) and winning percentage (.600). She also collected the most Big Ten wins (57) and the best conference winning percentage (.510) of head women's basketball coach in Michigan's history. Five of Michigan's six postseason appearances came during Guevara's time on the bench.
Aside from the Michigan job, Guevara spent 14 years as an assistant coach for Michigan State, Ball State and Auburn University. She also served as an associate coach during her 10th season at MSU.
During her time at Auburn, Guevara saw the stands go from empty to full. She said it's possible at Rose Arena.
"I think the fan base in Mount Pleasant has gotten better," she said. "Everyone wants to come see a winner. I think with the style of ball we are playing it lends itself to getting people here in the stands, but you have to win. I can see Rose being full for more than one game before my contract ends."
Guevara is currently in the second year of a four-year contract.
Being a native of Saginaw, Guevara relished the opportunity to return back home.
"My family is from Michigan and I love this state," she said. "This is where I am going to retire, so when this job opened up I had to take a good long look."
Guevara said she already has purchased her retirement home in Michigan and plans to remain in the state.
Junior guard Heidi Warczinsky said if the team is going to win a MAC Championship, Guevara is the one that will lead it.
"I think she is a great coach and she knows how to push us and make everybody better," she said. "I think this is the best place for her and she will be the coach that takes us to the championship."
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