Arizona's Waites Selected as Head Women's Basketball Coach
4/14/1998 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Arizona's Waites Selected as Head Women's Basketball Coach
4/14/1998
April 13, 1998
PITTSBURGH -Traci Waites, a participant in six NCAA Tournaments and two Final Fours during her basketball coaching and playing career, has been named the head women's basketball coach at the University of Pittsburgh, it was announced today by Athletic Director Steve Pederson.
Waites, 31, joins Pittsburgh after serving the University of Arizona the prior four seasons as an assistant coach, including the last two as associate head coach. She was an instrumental figure in the Wildcats' emergence as a Top 10 program, helping them to their third straight 20-win season and an NCAA Tournament berth this past year.
"Today is a new day for Pittsburgh women's basketball," Pederson said. "Traci Waites has the intelligence, commitment, enthusiasm, determination and track record of success to lead our program to the top of the Big East. I am very excited about the future of our program under the direction of Coach Waites. I hope Pittsburgh will get behind her and support the growth of our basketball program."
"I am very excited to join the University of Pittsburgh and extremely honored to be its new head women's basketball coach," Waites said. "I believe our program has potential to achieve great success, both nationally and in the Big East Conference. My immediate goal will be to teach our players to be more concerned with the process it takes to become a winner, rather than end results alone. We want to get better every day, on and off the court.
"I am anxious to be a part of the Pittsburgh community and build a program that is built on the work ethic that my new hometown is famous for."
While at Arizona, Waites helped oversee one of the biggest turnarounds in college basketball.
After posting an 11-19 mark in her first season with the program in 1994-95, the Wildcats went 22-8, the first 20-win season in school history, and captured the 1996 National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT) championship. In 1996-97, Arizona earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament berth with a school-record 23-8 mark.
This past season, Arizona set or tied 34 school records on the way to a 23-7 record and berth in the NCAA Tournament's "Sweet 16." The Wildcats ranked ninth in the final Associated Press poll, their highest final ranking ever. Arizona defeated five nationally ranked opponents, including a 91-90 win versus Stanford, which halted the Cardinal's 48-game winning streak in the Pac-10.
Waites previously was the head coach at Santa Monica Community College in Santa Monica, Calif., during the 1993-94 season after serving the program as an assistant for three years. The team qualified for the state playoffs each year of her tenure.
Waites enjoyed an outstanding collegiate playing career, first at the University of Georgia and then at Long Beach State University. She played in the NCAA Tournament each of her four seasons and went to two Final Fours. She holds the distinction of being the only player to appear in the Final Four for two different teams.
At Long Beach State, Waites was a two-time All-Big West Conference guard, while leading the 49ers to a 58-11 mark and NCAA Tournament berths in her junior and senior seasons.
As a junior, Waites led Long Beach State to a 28-6 mark and the 1988 Final Four. During her senior season, LBSU went 30-5 and advanced to the Final Eight. Waites was named to the NCAA Tournament's All-Region teams each year.
Waites played her first two seasons at Georgia. As a freshman in 1984-85, Waites helped the Bulldogs to the Final Four and was named to the All-Tournament Team.
A native of Conyers, Ga., Waites was a three-time Parade All-American while playing at Rockdale County High School. She was the 1983 and 1984 Miss Georgia Basketball Player of the Year.
A 1989 graduate of Long Beach State, Waites was an honors student and received her bachelor's degree in speech communications.