LSU’s women’s basketball coach Dana “Pokey” Chatman recently announced her resignation. Fortunately, Chatman decided this before the NCAA tournament because she thought it would be a distraction for the team during the NCAA tournament.
According to an article on www.mcall.com, Chatman said “My resignation has prompted speculation and rumors that far exceeded my expectations and it is clear that my presence would be a great distraction during the NCAA Tournament.”
Many students said that Chatman should have postponed her resignation until after the tournament because it would increase LSU’s chances of winning the Championship.” She’s a good coach, they need her for leadership,” says Vincent Louis, a junior mass communications major from New Orleans, La.
According to Elijah Hobley, the strength and conditioning coach, Chatman helped her team out by resigning because LSU would have had to fire her if she would have stayed because of her past allegations of having a sexual relationship with one of her players.
Many question whether Chatman will be able to coach again.” There will be other opportunities for her to coach, but I think whatever organization she goes to, they will be strict on her,” said Kiki Baker Barnes, the head coach for the Lady Blue Devils basketball team. Chatman has yet to announce what career she will have in the future. Chatman has been head coach for the Lady Tigers since 2004, when she worked as an interim head coach for the former women’s basketball coach Sue Gunter. Then, she led LSU to three straight final fours and two straight southeastern conference championships. LSU’s assistant coach, Bob Starkley will take Chatman’s position as acting head coach for the rest of the NCAA Tournament.