Valley ready to take over at UHart
WEST HARTFORD — Morgan Valley and her wife Lauren were on the verge of signing a new lease on their home in Arizona when the call came from her former college coach.
UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey told Valley the University of Hartford was looking for a new coach. Valley was about to commit to another season as an assistant at the University of Arizona, but she aspired to run her own program and Hartford was an intriguing option.
A few days later, a text from Dailey was more direct: “You should go for the women’s basketball job at the University of Hartford.”
Valley reconsidered. “You know what? I should.”
She did. And a few weeks later, Valley was introduced as Hartford’s coach.
“I spent some of the most memorable times of my life (in Connecticut),” Valley said Thursday. “This is a dream come true.”
Valley, who grew up in Vermont, graduated from UConn in 2004 and has been on a steady climb on the coaching track the past 14 years, starting as a student assistant at her alma mater. There were New England stops at Holy Cross, New Hampshire and UMass. There were highprofile positions at Virginia Tech, Washington and Arizona.
She coached on a Final Four team at Washington and earned the reputation as a skilled recruiter. Now she’s back in a familiar region, taking over a program put on the basketball map by another former Husky — Jennifer Rizzotti, who coach the Hawks for 17 seasons.
And Valley’s basketball past was very much represented as she was formally introduced at Chase Arena. Dailey, Jamelle Elliott — an assistant coach when Valley was at UConn — and Geno Auriemma were on hand. Her sister Ashley, also a former UConn teammate, surprised her by attending and her extended family was at the press conference.
When it came time for a Q&A with the new coach, Auriemma asked for the microphone.
“Will you ever play the University of Connecticut?” Auriemma asked “Yes,” Valley said. The Hartford fans cheered.
Auriemma, of course, has watched the Hartord program evolve under Rizzotti and Kim McNeill, who was 58-38 in three seasons and led the Hawks to the WNIT this year. McNeill left for East Carolina.
From his view in Storrs, his former player has landed in a good spot to kick off her head coaching career.
“She’s in a place where they value basketball,” Auriemma said. “Men’s and women’s basketball here isn’t something they do, it’s the most important thing they do.”
Auriemma said Valley’s experience coaching under so many coaches in so many regions will serve her well. Not all former players are willing to embrace the grind of building a coaching resume.
But Valley displayed a desire to learn the business immediately after graduating from UConn, where she completing an injuryplagued career that did include three NCAA titles. She stayed in Storrs and worked as a student assistant under Auriemma and Dailey.
“That’s when you could kind of tell,” Auriemma said. “Who’s kind of a got a passion for it, who’s really cut out for this life. I think that’s when it kind of became evident that she’s going to make a life out of this and she certainly has. Today’s like the culmination of all the places that she’s been. It’s a pretty exciting day.”
Valley thanked Auriemma for teaching her that “this game of basketball transitions to life … anyone who plays there understands that.”
She also cited the UConn assistant coaches who mentored her — Dailey, Elliott and Tonya Cardoza, who is now Temple’s head coach.
“Without (them), I wouldn’t be coaching,” Valley said. “They’re the reason why I pay it forward.”