Nathan Hutchinson
Register Sports Editor
RICHMOND
May 15, 2008 02:02 am
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Three coaches with extremely strong ties to Eastern Kentucky University have emerged as the top candidates to succeed Larry Joe Inman as the school’s head women’s basketball coach.
The Richmond Register has learned that current EKU assistant coach Lisa Pace, East Carolina assistant coach Chrissy Roberts and Transylvania University women’s basketball coach Greg Todd are the leading contenders for the position.
No official announcement has been made by the school’s athletic department, but indications are very strong that a final decision about the position will be made soon, perhaps as early as next week.
Inman, who spent 20 very successful seasons at EKU, announced his retirement on April 29. He will officially step down on June 30.
Roberts, an EKU graduate (1999) and former assistant coach, appears to be the leading candidate for the job.
She has spent the past six years as an assistant at ECU working with the team’s guards and serving as the program’s recruiting coordinator as well.
Roberts started her college career at the University of Kentucky, but after two seasons transferred to EKU. The Eminence native led the Lady Colonels to their first-ever OVC Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance (1996-97) and received the Ed Steitz Award after leading the leading the nation in three-point field goal percentage.
She was a two-time First-Team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection and was also named the OVC Player of the Year.
She served as an assistant under Inman for two seasons before moving on to Tennessee Tech for one year (1999-2000).
Pace was a member of three OVC championships during her playing days at EKU and was part of two more league titles during her seven seasons as an assistant at Southeast Missouri State. She was a graduate assistant under Inman for one season (1999-2000) and re-joined the staff last summer.
The Huntsville, Tenn., native also currently serves as the Lady Colonels’ recruiting coordinator.
Todd, a native of Berea and also a graduate of EKU, just recently completed his second season at Transylvania after an outstanding career at the high school level. He posted a 225-26 record during seven seasons at Lexington Catholic, leading the Lady Knights to three Kentucky High School Athletic Association state titles and six regional championships.
Todd recorded at least 20 wins in all seven seasons as girls’ basketball coach at Berea Community and helped the school reach the semifinals of the state tournament in 1998.
He has led the Pioneers to a 34-21 record during the past two years, including a 22-10 mark against Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference opponents.
Todd also served as an graduate assistant under men’s basketball coach Max Good at EKU for one season (1988-89).
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