After four years with Kelly Rae Finley, the Gators called it quits and decided to take a chance on Tammi Reiss.
Reiss proved promising during her time in Rhode Island, where she served as head coach from 2019 to 2026. That span yielded her one NCAA Tournament appearance with a first round, and a 138-73 record. Prior to being picked up as a Ram, she was an assistant on Syracuse’s coaching staff where she helped lead the team to the NCAA Tournament four times – one of which featured a national championship run.
For many Florida fans, her resume isn’t convincing enough to generate belief in her ability to turn around the Gators. But, every successful coach had to start somewhere before getting to the big stage. So where does she stand compared to some of collegiate women’s basketball’s best?
UConn’s longtime coach, Geno Auriemma, got the job after four years as an assistant at Virginia. The 1981-1985 seasons with him on the sideline gave the team back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances, both of which ended in the first round. The Cavaliers’ overall record in the four years was 75-39, which doesn’t tell the more important story of the team’s growth during that time, though he was even less experienced than Reiss upon taking the Uconn job.
Perhaps the most polar comparison, Duke’s Kara Lawson had never been on the coaching staff for a collegiate team before she became a Blue Devil in 2020. Her coaching career was rooted in her time with USA Basketball, where success is an understatement of her achievements. She already had four gold medals from her time as a head coach before arriving at Duke. Three were accompanied by an undefeated record, so her credentials were firmly in place. Lawson was also an assistant coach for the Boston Celtics during the 2019-2020 short-lived COVID-19 season. During her time there, the team had a 43-21 record and finished third in the Eastern Conference.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley followed a tale slightly more similar to Reiss. Before her move in 2008 to the Palmetto State, she was the head coach at Temple University. From 2000-2008, Staley’s squads there showed their dominance. Not only were the Owls four-time regular season conference champions, but also four-time conference tournament champions. By the time she left, Staley fostered a 172-80 record which featured only one year absent from the NCAA Tournament.
It’s well-known that Kim Mulkey made waves at Baylor prior to starting her tenure at LSU. But, before she was a Bear, Mulkey worked as an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech for 15 years until 2000. With her courtside, the team never missed an NCAA Tournament and won the national championship once. Her overall record was capped at 430-68.
Another final comparison, but certainly no slouch, is Muffet McGraw. Prior to her national championship at Notre Dame, McGraw was a coach at Lehigh University. Her five seasons with the team churned out an 88-41 record, creating the school’s highest win percentage of .682. The team also won the East Coast conference title while under her leadership.
The point of this all? No two coaches had the same resume before taking the court with their powerhouse teams, so there’s no definite answer to what Reiss’ impact will be. However, some aspects are clear. Her record at Rhode Island proves her ability to win and her tournament appearances, both as a head and assistant coach, align with other success stories. Having been a head coach also gives her more experience than others had before being hired to the teams where they exploded.
The new hire’s success, though, can only be told by time.
