Toledo Women’s basketball has been a staple at UToledo for generations. In the past 43 seasons, they tallied a record of 850-471. Those 850 wins are the most in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) since 1982. The next closest is Bowling Green with 813.
Tricia Cullop, who was hired by UT in 2008, was a big part of that success. In Cullop’s 16 seasons as the UT head coach, she amassed 522 wins, made the NCAA tournament twice, winning the NIT tournament once.
When she announced in April that she was leaving to take the head coach job at the University of Miami, a sense of loss was evident across campus and beyond. But administrators and fans alike were thankful she stayed for as long as she did.
“We were extremely fortunate to have her for as many seasons as we did,” said Nicole Alderson, executive associate athletic director. “She was a phenomenal coach, but she was an even better person.”
Sadness aside, Toledo had to mount a search for a women’s basketball coach for the first time in 15 years. The school started with a list of more than 30 candidates, and it narrowed down quickly.
Ginny Boggess, head coach at Monmouth University in New Jersey, was on that list.
In the 2020-21 season, Monmouth won only two games, their worst showing in school history. Then they hired Boggess. Under her leadership, just two years later, they won their conference and made the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1983.
Fast forward to spring 2024. Coach Boggess was on vacation in Florida when she was contacted about the pending vacancy at UToledo. She did a Zoom interview with Toledo officials, and the next day, left her vacation early to meet with them in person.
Toledo hired Boggess on Apr. 9, just 4 days after Cullop left for Miami.
While the process was quick, Alderson feels like they got the best coach out there.
“It wasn’t about male, female, age, it was about who is the best candidate that’s going to take care of our student athletes and continue the success, build upon the success we’ve already had,” she said.
While there is a new coach, Alderson says the expectations don’t change.
“She’s not coming here to maintain; she’s coming here to elevate.”
Boggess was head coach at Monmouth for three seasons. In her last season at Monmouth, Geoff Lanier joined her staff as an assistant coach and followed her to Toledo to be her Associate Head Coach. Lanier, who will be entering his 34th year in coaching, said the decision was easy to come to Toledo with Coach Boggess after talking with his wife.
“I enjoyed my year so much with coach at Monmouth that it was a fairly simple process,” he said of Boggess.
“She has a unique ability to take a group, get them focused on a common goal, and get them all pulling them in the same direction faster than anyone I’ve ever worked with,” Lanier said.
Toledo is bringing back eight players from last year’s team and welcoming six freshmen. All are new to Boggess and her staff, though, so there’s learning all around during workouts.
“Coach Tricia was very successful the way they’ve done it, Coach Ginny’s style is significantly different with the way we’re going to play,” Lanier said. “We’ve been spending a little bit more time on the offensive end installing those concepts.”
Lanier says he is the de-facto defensive coordinator for Boggess and that Boggess is fantastic at drawing up offensive plays and getting good shots for her team.
“She’s able to see what they’re taking away and figure out where the weakness is and take advantage of that weakness,” Lanier said.
Lanier says the type of person she is stands out the most. He asked himself if he would want his daughter to play for Coach Boggess, and the answer was an affirmative “no question.”
“She’s not just a great basketball coach, she’s a better person."
