Linda Lappe (Mktg鈥�02), the women鈥檚 basketball coach, and Tad Boyle, the men鈥檚 basketball coach, received five-year contracts when they were hired in the spring.
For the first time in school history, CU changed head coaches in both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball in the same off-season.
After Kathy McConnell-Miller was fired after five seasons (65-88 record, including 13-17 in 2009-10), CU hired former Buff聽Linda Lappe聽(Mktg鈥�02) as her replacement. And when Jeff Bzdelik exited after three seasons (36-58) to take the coaching job at Wake Forest, the university lured Tad Boyle, who turned around the program at the University of Northern Colorado.
UNC set the school鈥檚 single-season record for wins (25) in 2009-10. Boyle, the 1981 Colorado high school player of the year while at Greeley Central High School, spent four seasons with the Bears, improving from 4-24 to 25-8.
鈥淚 promise you there isn鈥檛 a coach at the University of Colorado that is going to give you more of their heart and soul than I will,鈥� Boyle says. 鈥淭his job means everything to me. It鈥檚 a destination job for me.鈥�
Boyle plans to coach an up-tempo style of basketball, taking advantage of Boulder鈥檚 altitude. The Buffs went 15-16 in Bzdelik鈥檚 final season.
Lappe, who played for Ceal Barry鈥檚 Buffs from 1998 to 2003, was hired from Division II Metropolitan State College of Denver where she went 50-36 in three seasons as head coach.
鈥淭his is a dream come true,鈥� says Lappe, who at 30 became the nation鈥檚 third-youngest Division I women鈥檚 basketball head coach. 鈥淚 knew when I left here I wanted to be back someday. And I鈥檓 just so thrilled to have that chance.鈥�
Both Boyle and Lappe received five-year contracts. Boyle is guaranteed about $590,000 annually, while Lappe鈥檚 yearly guaranteed amount is roughly $286,000.
Big 12 Freshman of the Year聽Alec Burks, the top freshman scorer in CU men鈥檚 basketball history, said shortly after Boyle was hired he would continue playing for聽the Buffs.
