Lindsey Harding Returning To Durham To Become The Next Head Coach Of The Duke Women's Basketball Program?
Joanne P. McCallie was the head coach of the women’s basketball program but down stepped from her coaching position last week which means Duke is going to have search for a new head coach.
During her thirteen seasons Joanne P. McCallie led the Blue Devils to a 330-107 (.755) overall record while earning ACC Coach of the Year honors three times.”according to https://goduke.com/news/2020/7/2/womens-basketball-mccallie-steps-away-from-duke-coaching-position.aspx
In addition to her 330 overall victories with the Blue Devils, McCallie guided Duke to a 150-54 (.735) ledger in ACC action with four consecutive league regular season titles in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 and three ACC Tournament championships in 2010, 2011 and 2013. As well, McCallie's tenure in Durham included 10 NCAA Tournament selections with four straight Elite Eight appearances from 2010-13.https://goduke.com/news/2020/7/2/womens-basketball-mccallie-steps-away-from-duke-coaching-position.aspx
During the 2018-19 season, McCallie became the quickest coach in ACC history to reach the 300-win plateau at a member institution. The season before, she became the 15th-fastest coach in NCAA history to reach the 600-victory mark, doing so in just 821 contests.https://goduke.com/news/2020/7/2/womens-basketball-mccallie-steps-away-from-duke-coaching-position.aspx
Who could become the next head coach of the Duke Women’s Basketball Program. How about Lindsey Harding?
Lindsey Harding was a great player at Duke!
How great?
Her jersey is retired and is hanging in the rafters of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The guard was Duke’s second National Player of the Year winning Naismith honors ... received the inaugural WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year ... developed into one of the top point guards in the nation ... a dynamic player with tremendous speed ... one of the best defenders in the nation ... often assigned to the opponent’s top scoring threat ... did not play in 2004-05 due to violation of team rule. “according to https://goduke.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lindsey-harding/2456
Lindsey Harding became the first Duke player to be picked No. 1 in the WNBA Draft as she was taken by the Phoenix Mercury and then traded to the Minnesota Lynx ... only the second Duke player (Alana Beard) and sixth ACC player to register over 1,000 points, 500 assists, 500 rebounds and 250 steals ... after hitting 8-of-42 three-pointers (19.1%) over first two years, nailed 23 of 56 treys (41.1%) as a junior and 24 of 63 as a senior (38.1%) ... over her final two years, hit 47 of 119 treys (39.5%) ... in 140 games, owned a 1.96 assist/turnover ratio ... notched one double-double as a sophomore with 10 rebounds and 11 assists.https://goduke.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lindsey-harding/2456
In The NCAA Record Book...Ranked fourth in the NCAA Tournament charts with 46 steals in 18 games.https://goduke.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lindsey-harding/2456
In The ACC Record Book...Her 579 assists was seventh on the ACC list.https://goduke.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lindsey-harding/2456
In The Duke Record Book...Career leader in assists with 579, while ranking 12th in points (1,298), third in steals (261), third in minutes played (4,008), first in wins (128), tied for second in ACC victories (57), tied for eighth in free throws made (295), tied for 10th in free throws attempted (399), tied for second in games played (140) and fifth in games started (118) ... had 168 assists as a sophomore and 156 assists as a junior to rank second and third, respectively, on the single season lists.https://goduke.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/lindsey-harding/2456
Lindsey Harding went on to play in the WNBA where she averaged 9.8 points (.414 FG%, .252 3pt%, .755 FT%), 2.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 28.7 minutes per game in 270 career games (210 starts) for Minnesota (2007-08), Washington (2009-10), Atlanta (2011-12), Los Angeles (2013-14), New York (2016) and Phoenix (2016). She also played internationally in Turkey, Lithuania, Russia and participated in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games as an integral part of the Belarus women’s national basketball team. Harding was selected first overall in the 2007 WNBA Draft after playing for Duke from 2002-07 where she earned the 2007 Naismith College Player of the Year award, had her No. 10 retired and was enshrined into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018, becoming the third women’s basketball student-athlete to be inducted.
Since then Lindsey Harding has two different jobs in the NBA on two teams. serving as a player development coach for the Philadelphia 76ers beginning in April. Prior to her promotion, Harding worked as the NBA’s first African American female pro personnel scout for Philadelphia (2018-19) following a nineyear career in the WNBA. “according to https://www.nba.com/kings/roster/lindsey-harding
Currently she is an assistant coach as well as the player development coach for Sacramento where she gets to work with former Duke Men’s Basketball players. Who are they? Marvin Bagley III, Harry Giles and Jabari Parker.
Why do I think Lindsey Harding would be a great fit to become the next head coach of the Duke Women’s Basketball program?
Because she played for Duke and she also has gained coaching experience but not at the collegiate level instead, at the NBA level and I also think that Duke would like to possibly hire someone who has been around the program. If Kevin White who is the Director Of Athletics for Duke decides to make Lindsey Harding the next head coach of the Duke Women’s Basketball he would hiring someone who had many accolades as player at Duke and someone who is familiar with the program.