2012 U.S. Olympic Women's Basketball Assistant Coaches Named - Press Conference Quotes

January 20, 2012

Doug Bruno
On his selection to the USA Basketball coaching staff:

“First of all, I would like to thank and acknowledge my wife Patty and my six sons who are all here today because when you choose to coach other people’s children, it’s not always easy to be a spouse or a child of a coach. It’s a great profession as a teacher and a coach I love what I do and yet, you can’t be a coach without great family support also.”

“USA Basketball is a special, special organization…You love this country and yet as a collegiate coach there are a lot of people that try to politic to get into USA basketball. I made a decision very early on that if USA Basketball ever calls, I’d be so honored to work with and for USA Basketball but I was never going to pick up the phone and try to take [Women’s National Team Director] Carol [Callan] to lunch or try to take [USA Basketball CEO] Jim [Tooley] to dinner and work my way in that way to USA Basketball. In February 2006, the phone rang...Carol Callan was on the phone and she ‘I’m here with the committee and we’ve decided to offer you the opportunity to coach our 18 and under team. Take a couple of days and think about it. It’s going to be a two-year commitment and you’ll coach the 19s the following year, 2007.’ I said ‘Carol, it took me about three seconds. That’s about all the time I need to say ‘yes’ to the United States of America.”

“I’m sitting up here with two tremendous, tremendous people. Jen Gillom is a championship pro. She won gold in 1988. She brings an infectious, infectious laugh…Marynell and I go back to the Chicago Hustle days…This coaching staff is just unbelievable. Geno Auriemma is already a Hall of Fame coach. He is a tremendous coach but he is also a tremendous leader of teams. He just does a magnificent job.”

Jennifer Gillom
On returning to the Olympics as a coach after winning a gold medal as an athlete in 1988:

“When I played on the 1988 Olympic team and brought home a gold medal, it was a dream come true.  Afterwards, I played overseas for many, many years and finally got to come back home when the WNBA arrived. Now, having been a WNBA player and coach and an Olympic player, returning to the world stage as a coach completes a basketball journey that has come full circle for me. To me that just brings joy to my heart.”

“I am so grateful to be working again with Doug Bruno who I think is an outstanding coach. He’s a great guy to work with, especially doing those scouting reports. He can stay up all night doing scouting reports. Marynell, I have fun working with her…I really enjoy working with her and learning a lot from her as well. I am honored. I am really excited to be returning to the Olympics with such an accomplished team of coaches and players. It’s so hard to contain the excitement that I’m feeling about returning to the Olympics as a coach. It’s incredible.”

Marynell Meadors
On her selection to the Olympic coaching staff:

“I really think when I was selected for those junior teams and developmental teams that you all [USA Basketball] were preparing me for this day. I really enjoyed coaching those teams. Going to Taiwan two years in a row was a little much but I really enjoyed it.

“There’s not much else I can say. Doug Bruno is definitely a great speaker because he hit and touched every single person in this room and I want to do the same thing. “

“When I was in the seventh grade I knew I wanted to coach basketball. There were no high school teams. There were no college teams. USA Basketball was not there yet. I knew that if I was on a mission, it was a mission to make sure that girls and women have an opportunity to play at a high level and at a high rate.”

“We’re going out to win the gold and keep it in the United States”