Hiring former player as Butler women's basketball coach key to 'long-term health' of program
Twins from Fort Wayne joined in the excitement of a Fort Wayne native and former Bulldog being introduced as women's basketball coach Friday.
INDIANAPOLIS — Butler women's basketball coach Maria Marchesano played at Butler , was proposed to by her husband Seth Coffing at Hinkle Fieldhouse and viewed the school as the only place she'd leave her hometown to coach. She was reintroduced Friday at Butler , having left her hometown job as Purdue Fort Wayne's coach, to replace former Dawgs coach Austin Parkinson . "When I went back to Purdue Fort Wayne, there was this added pressure.
'This is my hometown, I don't want to fail,' and I have that some feeling here," Marchesano said. "I played here — this is home for me. The added pressure is that I don't want to let this community down.
"That's not a bad thing, it just shows how meaningful it is for me and how excited I am to really get the trajectory in the right direction. " Friday marked a whirlwind three weeks for athletic director Grant Leiendecker and his department. Men's basketball coach Thad Matta announced his retirement March 16.
Eleven days later former Butler guard Ronald Nored was announced Matta's replacement. Monday, Butler announced a mutual agreement with Parkinson to part ways . Two days, later Marchesano was announced as his replacement.