New Mocs Women’s Basketball Coach Deandra Schirmer Embraces UTC’s Tradition

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) When the UTC women’s basketball team tips off their season next week, they’ll feature a new head coach in Deandra Schirmer.
Coach ‘D’ is looking to pick up where the previous head coach left off, as Chattanooga won back-to-back SoCon titles.

Schirmer:”I wanted to make sure that we bring champions back-to-back-to-back to this program.”
Yeah. Coach ‘D’ was not afraid to step into the Mocs rich, tradition.
Schirmer:”Being the competitor that I am. I wanted to be apart of

a championship culture. I wanted to be apart of a community that really embraces women’s basketball.”
After getting the job, Schirmer met former Mocs coach and Hall of Famer, Jim Foster.
Schirmer:”One of the stories that I heard when I first came here to Chattanooga was how Jim Foster never had a desk. So when I got into my office, they were like yeah, when Jim Foster was here, he didn’t even have a desk. He would just sit there. And I asked him about that. He said that he really wanted to make it about the players and about the relationships. He really wanted his space to be a shared space for student-athletes. He didn’t want them to feel intimidated coming in. He wanted it to feel like a living room, where you’re having a conversation.”
Reporter:”Do you have a desk?”
Schirmer:”I do have a desk. I can’t watch film if it’s not on a desk. I have to have a desk.”(chuckles)
At Valdosta State, Schirmer posted an impressive 114-31 record with an offense that’s no where near as stationary as a desk.
Schirmer:”We’re really excited to implement the Princeton offense. UConn runs it. Notre Dame runs it. Stanford runs it. All the teams that I mentioned are in the national championship discussion year in and year out. In the women’s game since we don’t have dunks, a back-door is like the epitome. Back-door or a deep three is kind of that highlight play.”
And Schirmer believes returning Mocs player Sigrun Olafsdottir will soar in this offense.
Schirmer:”She has fit like a glove into what we are trying to do. I think her versatility when it comes to being able to bring the ball up. Be able to shoot the ball from deep. Be able to move without the basketball. Post up. Then her defensive know-how has really made her one of our key pieces to our program this year.”

Chattanooga opens their season Monday at McKenzie Arena as they host Shorter at 6pm.