Today’s guest Jennifer Gross is entering her 14th year as the head women’s basketball coach at the University of California - Davis.

UC Davis is a special place for Coach Gross, as she was a point guard for the program from 1993-1997, before returning as an assistant coach in 2004. She led the Aggies to five straight Big West Conference regular season titles from 2017-2021.

During her time as both an assistant and head coach, she’s helped the Aggies to three NCAA Division I Tournament berths and five appearances in the WNIT, including a trip to the WNIT Elite Eight in 2018.

We talk about team success, team culture, the program’s core values, relationships with student-athletes and more.

Hear about:

• The program’s transition from D-II to D-I
• Jennifer’s transition from assistant to head coach
• Building a program and creating a culture
• How schools can set coaches up for success
• Why fit matters in recruiting
• Staying competitive with graduation and transfers
• Team-building strategies
• Motivating today’s student-athletes

About the host

Ross Romano is co-founder of the Be Podcast Network and also hosts The Authority Podcast. He began his career in the pro sports industry before becoming a leading communications, marketing, and management expert working with education companies. He is founder and CEO of September Strategies, a coaching and consulting firm that helps organizations and high-performing leaders in the K-12 education industry communicate their vision and make strategic decisions that lead to long-term success.

Connect on Twitter @RossBRomano or LinkedIn. Listen to The Authority: https://authoritypodcast.net.