What stood out from Wisconsin women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton introductory presser

USA Today

04-04-2025

What stood out from Wisconsin women's basketball coach Robin Pingeton introductory presser
Wisconsin women's basketball officially introduced the eighth head coach in program history on Tuesday.
Two weeks after former head coach Marisa Moseley's departure, Chris McIntosh and the Wisconsin brass hired Robin Pingeton to fill the void on the sidelines. The veteran coach arrives in Madison with decades of experience in the Midwest Collegiate Conference, Missouri Valley Conference, Big 12 Conference and Southeastern Conference.
Most recently, Pingeton spent the last 15 seasons with the Missouri Tigers. During her tenure, she posted a 250-218 overall mark with 10 postseason appearances, including four consecutive bids to the NCAA Tournament from 2015-19.
Prior to that time, the Iowa native showcased her program-building ability at Illinois State. She morphed the Redbirds' sub-.500 team in 2004-05 into a 28-8 squad by the time she departed after the 2009-10 season. The upside in transforming a struggling program into a perennial postseason performer certainly influenced her hiring.
The Badgers needed a boost in morale after finishing 2024-25 with a 13-17 overall record and 4-14 mark in conference play. Outside of Serah Williams, arguably the greatest player in Wisconsin's program history, UW lacked any type of offensive consistency.
Pingeton, who boasts a winning history in a hyper-competitive SEC, addressed that in her opening presser on Tuesday.
"We want to play up-tempo for sure," Pingeton said. "We want to play early in the shot clock. We want to play in transition. Offensively, we really like positionless basketball where you're really teaching the game and not putting players in a box. You've got to have great footwork, great decision-making. That's a learned skill for a lot of college players...Defensively, we want to be really disruptive. We kind of just want to be a pain. We want to keep other teams on their toes, we want to switch up our defense [and] we will also be scouring report-based...You're going to find a team that's going to play really hard."
Pingeton also addressed the most pressing matter for those invested in the 2025-26 team -- the transfer portal.
As of April 3, the Badgers roster six total players and just one senior - reserve guard Lily Krahn. Wisconsin's entire starting five from the 2024-25 season departed via graduation or the portal. It is now Pingeton's responsibility to rebuild a rotation from scratch.
"We're really operating now in a pro-style with the revenue share and the portal" Pingeton said. "Being able to bring in players that have really good game experience, that are more mature, that have played at a high level, it's an opportunity to be really selective. Who fits your style? Who has an uncommon work ethic?... In our portal calls right now, I'm trying to be transparent to a fault... I don't think you settle. I think there [are] non-negotiables. I have a vision, and I'm excited to put Wisconsin women's basketball back on the map."
With roughly three weeks remaining until the transfer portal closes, Pingeton is faced with an uphill battle. But, while the program lacks an identity or consistent culture, Wisconsin's cache and history as a member of the Big Ten is inarguably appealing for those looking to become a No. 1 option.
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