Q & A with Head coach Jeff Mittie
Mittie looks to Final Four in 5th season

Skiff: Are you surprised how quickly you’ve been able to get this team in the national spotlight?

JM: That was our goal when we got here. I was surprised the first year and think that team exceeded my expectations. It was a special group of kids and they did an excellent job getting the ball going here. I think now it’s expected every year that we are going to compete for conference championships and play in March.

Skiff: There’s been a lot of talk about the two freshmen point guards. What can they add to the team?

JM: They have tremendous vision up the floor. and they have the ability to break you down off the dribble. They can make a play out of seemingly nothing and are both highly competitive. We’re trying to keep it simple for them because there is such a big learning curve.

Skiff: You have failed to get past the second round of the NCAA Tournament three years in a row. How do you coach a team to get to that next level?

JM: I think we need to be a better offensive team. Our tournament is different than the men’s in that we don’t have as much parity in women’s basketball. I think the way we have built our team is a team that gets better from the start to the finish. We have very good athletes. This is the fastest team I have ever had at TCU. I think you will see a different team from November to March, and hopefully, we can play our best basketball at the end of the year.

Skiff: What was the cause for the great turnaround the team made last season and how do you try to prevent another slow start?

JM: Last year’s team did not handle some things early in the year very well. I probably didn’t coach them as well as I could. I probably struggled with finding a pulse with that team. You hope that some of the lessons we learned last year carry over to this year. Hopefully, we’ll fight through adversity harder than we did a year ago. We need to be a tougher team this year.

Skiff: You say this is the fastest team you have ever coached. What else is special about this team?

JM: I think this team is learning to be a more accountable team. They are learning the responsibilities that come with being a team with expectations coming in. I think this team has the right idea to get a little better every day.

Skiff: What characteristics make you a good coach?

JM: Good players. Is that a characteristic? Yeah, good players always make me a good coach. Great players can make me a great coach. I think as a coach, I try to put our players in the best position to win.

Skiff: Do you like coaching the defensive side of the game more than the offensive?

JM: I love both ends of the floor. But I love the toughness of the defensive end of the floor. And I love the, from the offensive standpoint, putting together the things that the team can execute and have some success and have some fun.

Skiff: Who is your favorite player you have coached so far at TCU?

JM: I don’t that I have a favorite. On this team, I love the competiveness of Ebony Shaw and Tiffany Evans as seniors. I love the competiveness of them.

Skiff: Is there any player out there who you would like to coach?

JM: I think most of us in the country wouldn’t mind coaching (Diana) Taurasi. I asked her if she wanted to transfer for her senior year. But I like coaching the ones I got.

Skiff: Has the thought of coaching men’s basketball ever crossed your mind?

JM: I haven’t really thought about that. I really wanted to get into coaching and the opportunity presented itself and I enjoyed it. And that’s how I got into it. I think the thing I enjoy about it is that the players I have coached have had a great desire to get better and compete for a championship.

Skiff: What is your most memorable moment at TCU?

JM: You know, I think the Penn State win. It was such a great basketball game and one of the best basketball games I have ever coached in. It was such a well-played game.

— compiled by Kelly Morris