Coach still deciding

Duke AD: 'We want Gail to stay'

CLEVELAND -- Duke athletics director Joe Alleva said Monday he is committed to keeping Gail Goestenkors at Duke.

"I think Gail is one of the best coaches in the country," he said. "We want Gail to stay at Duke ..., and we're going to do whatever we need to do to get her to stay."

Goestenkors has yet to make up her mind. Texas is seeking to hire the 44-year-old coach, to replace its longtime women's basketball coach Jody Conradt.

Goestenkors picked up another coach of the year award Monday, this time from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Goestenkors also has had several speaking engagements, which she said has hurt her ability to make a decision.

"I'm still working through it," Goestenkors said. "I've got all the facts and figures, and now, it's just a matter of feeling it with my heart, trying to wade through how my heart feels and making sure it's consistent. Sometimes you can become emotional, especially after the tough loss that we had and then I've been on the go as well."

Goestenkors said she likely would not have come to the Final Four had it not been for all of her planned engagements.

On Monday afternoon, Goestenkors said she was trying to decide whether to return to Durham or stay in Cleveland and support seniors Lindsey Harding and Alison Bales, who are expected to be high picks at the WNBA Draft on Wednesday.

Harding won the Naismith player of the year award, which means she and Goestenkors have to be in Atlanta on Thursday for a banquet. That doesn't leave Goestenkors with much time to make up her mind -- she leaves for Rome on Friday for a two-week tour with USA Basketball and a decision likely would need to come before then.

On Monday, Duke boosters purchased an ad in the Cleveland Plain Dealer in support of Goestenkors. On Thursday, students and fans rallied near her office to beg her to stay.

"I think Gail knows that she's loved and tremendously respected by our fans and our university," Alleva said.

Conradt made $540,000 a year at Texas, where women's athletics has a separate department run by Chris Plonsky, a friend of Goestenkors.

Goestenkors' salary is not apart of public record, but she makes less than Conradt, according to Duke's tax filings.

Conradt retired on March 12 after her Longhorns missed the NCAA Women's Tournament for the second straight year. She leaves a young, but talented team that Goestenkors has some familiarity with, the Devils defeated Texas 80-52 on Dec. 10 in Cameron Indoor Stadium.

With its own great base for next season, Duke has three starters returning and junior Chante Black scheduled to be back after a season-long knee injury. At Duke, Goestenkors also would have three incoming recruits who were all WBCA high school All-Americas.

Meanwhile, the two programs continue to wait for Goestenkors.