Southmoreland grad Vanessa Abel taking strides toward becoming women's basketball head coach

When informed that Vanessa Abel was part of a select group of assistant women’s basketball coaches chosen to participate in a nationwide NCAA workshop, Jess Kovatch voiced her reaction immediately.

“I’m not surprised,” the former St. Francis (Pa.) standout said.

Abel, a Southmoreland graduate, got her first taste of coaching — at any level — when she was lured away from a professional playing career in Europe to join the Red Flash’s staff under Joe Haigh in 2016. Kovatch, a sophomore at the time, remembers calling Abel at all hours asking if she could get into the gym to shoot. Abel was more than willing to oblige.

It was one of the neophyte coach’s many qualities that struck the young guard. She recalled when Abel would run alongside the players on the treadmills in hotel fitness room during road trips. There also were many instances of her jumping onto the court during practices to demonstrate a skill or compete against the players.

“She definitely could compete,” Kovatch said. “She’d cross us over, break ankles and she wasn’t afraid to do that. At the end of the day, she just wanted us to be better.”

The willingness to get dirty made Abel a 2,000-point scorer at Southmoreland. It carried her through her playing career at Duquesne, where she ranks eighth in program history in steals (210). It enabled her to play professionally for five years in Europe.

Now, as an assistant, she is trying to instill that same drive in her players. Abel is in her fifth season on the staff at her alma mater, having worked her way up from player development coach to recruiting coordinator to her current post as coach Dan Burt’s offensive coordinator.

On Feb. 14, Abel was selected as one of only 32 coaches across all NCAA divisions to take part in the Next Generation Institute. The program, sponsored by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, is in its inaugural season, and it identifies promising young assistants who aspire to be head coaches.

The intensive, two-day workshop takes place during the WBCA convention April 4-7 in Cleveland. Abel, 34, said she will use the event to gauge if she is ready to take the plunge into head coaching.

“This program is going to be good for me because I am kind of torn between, do I want to be a head coach, or am I comfortable and happy where I am at now?” she said. “It’s going to be eye-opening for me, and, hopefully, I can get a feel for what direction I want to go in my next steps.

“I’m leaning more toward I am ready to take that next step and become a head coach and run my own program. But it will be nice just to get validation. Because it’s more than just X’s and O’s when you step into that role.”

Abel said she never really considered becoming a coach, but a twist of fate gave her a boost in that direction. She was preparing to return to Sweden to play her sixth season of pro ball when a position opened on St. Francis’ staff. Suzie McConnell, Abel’s head coach with the Dukes, and Burt, an assistant under McConnell, encouraged her to go for an interview.

If nothing else, Abel said, her former college coaches believed it would be good experience. Abel obliged, although she had it in her head that when her playing career was over, she wanted to join the FBI or U.S. Secret Service.

Two days after interviewing with Haigh, Abel was informed that the job was hers. It would be a life-changing decision and one Abel didn’t take lightly. Her plane ticket back to Sweden already had been purchased.

But, after sitting down to consult with her family, Abel agreed to take the position.

“I found a love and passion in coaching that I didn’t know that I had,” she said. “Transitioning from a player to a coach, that doesn’t work out for a lot of people, but I think coaching is my calling. I had great mentors in my life … and I think they paved the way for me.”

Kovatch had no shortage of praise for Abel, whom she credits with making her into one of the greatest scorers in NCAA history. Kovatch left St. Francis with 2,874 career points (currently 19th in women’s Division I history), 472 made 3-pointers (currently tied for fourth all-time) and the D-I single-season record for made 3s (141, since broken).

“She definitely pushed me in a way where I know she wanted the best for me,” said Kovatch, who went on to play professionally in Europe for two years. “She was able to have really good times and connect with me and be funny, but there were times where I’m working the hardest I ever had and she’s putting me through these intense workouts where I want to give up.

“I knew she wanted me to get better, and she saw my potential even when I didn’t see it in myself.”

When Burt replaced McConnell 10 years ago, he wanted a renewed emphasis on player development. Abel was charged with that role when she was hired after a season at Western Michigan — she spent two years at St. Francis before WMU — and she quickly instilled her tireless work ethic in her players.

It started, she said, with then-seniors Nina Aho and Paige Cannon buying in. After that, Abel said, all 15 players wanted to get into the gym every day.

“The culture wasn’t where we left it when me and my classmates graduated as far as work ethic and commitment to the game,” Abel said. “So when I first got back here, my goal and my role was to bring back that work ethic, that discipline, that accountability. I held their hand until it became contagious.”

Of course, as has been consistent with her hands-on approach, Abel was right there on the court with them.

“She’s really still in great shape and can still do the things she asks of the players,” Burt said. “When you have a coach who can go out there and demonstrate at a very high level, it speaks to, ‘Hey, if I can do this at 34, we certainly can ask you to do it when you’re 20 or 21.’ ”

But coaching, as Abel has been finding out, isn’t all fun and games. It isn’t all about “breaking ankles” during practice and running on a treadmill.

There is a lot more that goes into it: paperwork, making connections with potential program donors, managing players and staff and deciding playing time. Burt said he has done his best to pull back the curtain so Abel can see the other facets of running a program.

“The players like you now. When you sit in my seat, they don’t like you as much because I’m the one that decides playing time,” Burt said. “And she’s starting to see that.

“Managing people is the biggest thing that I do. … Most head coaches are not prepared to be head coaches. They are not prepared to move one seat over because they have not managed people in any large capacity.”

Burt added that he is confident Abel has the capability and experience to run her own program should she choose to go that direction. That will be for Abel to decide, and the upcoming Next Generation Institute should give her a better handle on her future.

“I owe a lot to Duquesne for where I am today,” she said. “Coach Burt has given me the opportunity to grow in my role as player development coach, as recruiting coordinator and now offensive coordinator. His trust in me allows me to learn and grow as I’m going into a more intense role, a more significant role on the staff.”