Head coach Brenda Frese called her 2024-25 staff “the best unified staff I’ve had” in her 33-year coaching career.
Head coach Brenda Frese’s 24th season in charge of Maryland women’s basketball is off to a great start. Her team is 16-1 and ranked No. 8 in the Associated Press poll, with four victories over ranked opponents on its résumé.
Frese is in the process of adding another chapter to her legendary coaching career that already includes a national championship, three Final Four appearances and two Associated Press women’s college basketball Coach of the Year awards.
Frese constantly credits the rest of her coaching staff, which includes five assistant coaches and a director of basketball operations for the team’s success. This offseason, they helped bring in seven new transfers, which have revitalized the team.
Frese’s staff is one of just 10 NCAA women’s basketball coaching staffs in a power conference made up entirely of women.
“I wouldn’t say that was my intention or purpose, I’ve had men on staff as well over the years,” Frese said. “It’s just that with every position that came open, I always go after the best fit and person for the job.”
Frese’s staff has been exclusively women since the 2020-21 season, when former assistant Shay Robinson left for Ole Miss.
For players like Saylor Poffenbarger, who have made multiple stops before coming to Maryland, the Terps’ all-female staff has been a welcome change.
“Being a female, they connect to us differently,” Poffenbarger said. “They understand us more, whether that’s physically or emotionally, all the things that go into being a woman.”
The staff has continuously made difficult decisions this season in terms of balancing a talented roster, which Frese has referred to as containing seven starting-level players. For the last seven years, associate head coach Karen Blair has been by Frese’s side for those decisions.
“One of the things I love about our staff is that we all have played, every single one of us has been a student-athlete,” Blair said. “For players, there’s so many females that they can go to relate to and find people that they’re comfortable with.”
At every Maryland home game this year, a pregame hype video has blared a speech from Frese about “the family you choose” over a montage of her program’s greatest moments. Frese and her staff have strived to build locker rooms that exude a family-oriented atmosphere.
“It’s a credit to [Frese],” Blair said. “What this is is an extension of her family values that she grew up with, that is what this program is built on and that’s why she’s been able to sustain the success.”
Frese’s approach involves some tough love. She is known to challenge her players and directly explain where they need to improve. At various points this season, she has publicly called for leading scorer Kaylene Smikle to work harder defensively, challenged star Shyanne Sellers to play better and, following the team’s only loss to No. 4 USC, said graduate forward Allie Kubek wasn’t rebounding well enough to be on the floor.
The staff understands that style of coaching can’t be done without trust.
“I think [building trust] is one thing our staff is very intentional about,” Blair said. “It’s hard to coach a player really, really hard, and they have to know that you have the best intention to help them grow and be better.”
Christina Dalce recently went through a rough stretch of three Big Ten games, when she made just one field goal, seemingly losing all touch around the rim. Dalce said before the game against USC that she had a personal film session with Frese, who helped Dalce rebuild her confidence.
“I know confidence comes from within,” Dalce said, “but knowing that I have my teammates and [Frese], and even my parents … and sister there to really encourage me and tell me, ‘The past is the past and this is the now, and you’re able to make a difference.’”
The family atmosphere allows Maryland’s players to feel as comfortable with their coaching staff as they do their teammates.
“The coaches are just very intentional about how they do things,” Poffenbarger said. “Yes, every program wants to speak about family, but this is the first program where it really felt like a family.”
While Maryland’s absence of men on its staff is rare in women’s basketball, there isn’t a single woman coaching on a Power Four staff in men’s hoops. Frese and her assistants hope they can be a positive example for other women hoping to break into the coaching profession.
“I told coach Frese she was going to have to hire me when I leave,” Poffenbarger joked.
Maryland’s longtime head coach may not have set out to build an all-female staff, but she is extremely happy with the results it has yielded.
“By far, in my [33] years, collectively as a unit, it’s been the best unified staff I’ve had,” Frese said.