Laura Beeman is calling a quick timeout to assemble her new crew.
In a phone interview from California, the new Hawaii women’s basketball coach said she’d like to have her first Division I coaching staff finalized by the end of the week. First, though, she’s bought some time for her targeted assistants — as yet unannounced — to gather their thoughts before committing to the three jobs.
"Now it’s time for everyone to take a deep breath, exhale a little bit, and have some time to make some decisions," Beeman said. "Because this time of year there’s a lot of change in women’s basketball. One moment, someone may say, ‘Yeah, I want to come with you — oh wait, this just opened up.’ I want people to have the opportunity to make sure that Hawaii’s the right fit for them.
"I have people lined up, and at this point, whoever says yes, whoever I go with, I’m going to be very, very happy. The girls are going to be very, very happy. And we’re going to get a lot of things accomplished."
Beeman, introduced by UH on March 23, interviewed several prospective assistants while at the final four in Denver last weekend. She returns to Hawaii on Sunday, then will begin working out her returning players on Monday.
Former coach Dana Takahara-Dias’ staff — associate head coaches Gavin Petersen and Da Houl and assistant Margot Richards — all expressed a desire to remain on board, Beeman said.
She did not say if any were receiving strong consideration for her staff. Petersen was one of the five finalists interviewed for the job Beeman received.
"I think all the previous members of the staff have an intense love for the girls, for Hawaii," Beeman said. "And no one wants to go through transition. All of them expressed a desire (to stay). All of them also understand how the game of basketball and how this profession works. I’ve spoken with all of them, a couple of them more than others. They’re all great people, great integrity, and they represent the program well. So, yeah, I’ve had opportunities to get to know them. So I’m excited about that."
It is believed Beeman will have at least four scholarships to work with for the upcoming spring signing period that starts April 11. She might not use them all immediately, however.
"I don’t want to say (how many I will award) just because I have some decisions to make for this year or next year," Beeman said. "I have some kids that I’m looking at. If they pan out, I want to bring them in, because I feel like they’d be great impact players immediately. But if they don’t, then it’s a decision if I want to use all the scholarships or not. … things are really fluid and can change always."
Cravens requests release
Freshman guard Malia Cravens, who didn’t get to suit up in a single game for UH, has requested her release from the team, Beeman said.
The 5-foot-9 guard out of Temecula Valley High in Southern California sat out her entire first season with a shoulder injury. She was considered a good rebounder at her position.
"Malia Cravens asked for a release, and I granted that," Beeman said. "I don’t ever want anybody to feel pressure into playing someplace. This is the time of their lives where they should be having a great time. … I don’t want anybody to play under me if they don’t want to play under me, and I don’t take offense to that. I completely understand what happens when there’s a coaching change."
