South Alabama women's basketball head coach Terry Fowler was named the program's ninth head coach on April, 17, 2013. Fowler came to USA after spending the last seven seasons at the helm at UNA where he guided the Lions to the NCAA Tournament in both 2011 and '13 while winning 20-plus games in each of those years. Last season, UNA posted a 20-11 overall mark and a 12-6 record in the Gulf South Conference and ranked in the top 20 nationally in field-goal percentage defense and scoring defense. Twice during his time in Florence he was named the league's Coach of the Year – 2011 and 2013. Fowler has also served as head coach at Spring Hill and was an assistant at South Alabama under former head coach Rick Pietri for two seasons – the 2000-01 and '01-02 seasons – prior to going to North Alabama.
Leading up to the start of the 2013-14 season, www.USAJaguars.com will sit down with the members on the Jaguar women's basketball staff to give fans a brief introduction to each.
Question: You have been here with the team since April. What has that time been like?
Terry Fowler: It's been one of those situations where the players are trying to adjust to us, we're trying to adjust to them. I've really seen us make strides here, especially in the last three weeks, as we've been together more as a team. They're starting to pick up on things that we're asking them to do and they're responding positively, really.
Q: What would you say has been the biggest stride that they've made?
TF: Their togetherness. I think that they really get along together off the floor. It's bringing that same comradery to the practice court every day, to the weight room every day and in our team functions. We want to have a group that's solid, united and enthusiastic and one that brings a lot of energy to the practice floor. One that's not thinking about themselves as individuals, but the team. That's the biggest thing.
Q: What are three words you would use to describe the team?
TF: Eager, hard-working and learning.
Q: What is your coaching philosophy and what can South Alabama fans expect out of a Terry Fowler coached team?
TF: Fans can expect to see a team that's enthusiastic and energetic. One that executes. That's the last part of the puzzle and the one that takes some time. Hopefully we can get there. You are going to see a team that plays hard on the defensive end of the floor, especially. A group that's together and one that's going to fight until the end. A smart team. We don't want to beat ourselves. We fell like our opponents are going to have to beat us.
Q: What's your recruiting philosophy?
TF: The number one thing is they have to be a high-character person. I think high-character people develop. We'll take a high-character person over a more talented player. We also look for a skill set in a player. Kids that can dribble, pass and shoot. We also look for people who are selfless. Players who really care about other people and are all about the team. Just smart players and competitors. They need to be a competitor. Before you can win, you have to be able to compete and so we need players who are competitors.
If you're talking about position wise, we really would like for our post to be bigger. We want to play big. We feel the game is won inside the paint and we would like to play inside-out. Those are the type of kids we are looking for in recruiting.
Q: What made you want to get into coaching?
TF: After I finished playing, I wanted to be a business kind of person. I felt I was done with the game and I liked business. I then started looking back at how many coaches had influenced me. All of the phrases that they had said to me. What I wanted to do was try to give those same messages to younger people and maybe help them pick up those messages sooner. For me, coaching became a way to give back what had been given to me through my coaches. It's a way to really impact young people's lives and see them grow as people. Those are the reasons I kind of got into coaching.
Q: When you're not at practice or recruiting, where can we find you?
TF: I'm probably a closet football guy/coach. I really love the idiosyncrasies of football and the traditions of football, so you'll catch me watching college football and NFL football. I also have a younger daughter who plays sports, so I'll watch her and keep up with her. Those are the biggest things that I do when I'm not around the game.
Q: Talk about your staff, what does each of them bring to the table?
TF: Well, coach (Dan) Presel has been with me for 13 years. He speaks the same language that I do. He can finish my sentences. He brings a wealth of basketball knowledge, especially on the offensive end of the floor. He has an ability to work well with our players on their skill-development. He keeps an even keel. He's a thinker, so he does a great job of keeping all of us level-headed.
Yolisha (Jackson) is just a high-energy coach. She has been great in recruiting and having great contacts. She's gotten us in on some really good kids with the great energy she brings and her ability to relate. She also has an ability to relate to our current players and keep them engaged. That's been a big asset for us as well. The fact that she was a really good post player in college has also been valuable to us as she is working with our post players. She's able to bring that same intensity that she played with to the practice floor.
Aisha (Stewart) was already on the previous staff and just in the short time that I have been here, she has helped me navigate through so many of the ins and outs of South Alabama. She had a great relationship with the current players and I thought that it was important to keep that as we transitioned. She's also got a high-energy personality and has been great in the recruiting process as well. On the offensive end, she's an unbelievable shooter. I challenged her to a shooting contest when I first got here. I got off to a great start, but she finished me off. Her ability to work with our kids on their shooting has been an asset as well.
Q: What are your favorite places to eat in Mobile?
TF: Felix's (Fish Camp Grill) has become one of my favorite places. I like Carrabba's as well. The best burger in town is Butch Cassidy's.
Q: If you had to pick one word to describe the 2013-14 South Alabama Women's Basketball team what would it be?
TF: Undersized.
Q: You have spent several years in Mobile, both as a head coach at Spring Hill and an assistant here at South Alabama during the early 2000's. Did your previous time in the community drive you to come back?
TF: No doubt that it did. Florence (Ala.) was great and we left a lot of friends there, but we had kept in touch with a lot of people here in Mobile. It was great to be able to come back here. It wasn't like trying to start over. My family's adjusted really well. It's been great to be back here. It was like coming home really.
Q: How as the university changed since your first time here at South Alabama?
TF: Man, from the entrance to the campus, to as you're coming down University Blvd., and you see the bell tower. Just the facility upgrades overall and all of the new buildings on campus. I think with the growth and the vision of the university, the people have gotten more excited about South Alabama in the community and that's a great thing. You want to be at a place where people are excited about your product. That's the sense that I've felt since I actually came here and interviewed.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
—USA—
