New coach owns impressive resumé from Cornell, Georgetown

A quick glance at Jolene Nagel's resume makes one thing about her crystal clear-she knows how to win. With three Ivy League championships, one Big East championship and 204 career NCAA wins under her belt, it was only a matter of time until someone took notice. That time became this July. As Nagel was in the midst of negotiations over a contract extension with Georgetown, Duke was in search of a quality coach to fill the void left by Linda Grensing's resignation. The "love connection" was made and in no time at all, Nagel was a Blue Devil. "It was a quick transition," Nagel said. "It's been busy trying to hire staff, get on top of recruiting, and also get organized for this season.... The whole team has been just great. The three seniors especially have been extremely open to what I have to say and trying some new things. I just can't say enough about the attitude of the team so far." This is certainly a win-win situation for both parties. Nagel receives the opportunity to return to the ACC, where she got her start as an assistant for North Carolina, and jump start a team coming off a tough season. In turn, Duke receives a coach who, simply put, knows how to win. Nagel's resumé is filled with nothing but success. In only four years as the head coach at Cornell, she won three Ivy League championships. After reviving Cornell's program, Nagel accepted a position as head coach of Georgetown. She racked up 119 wins in seven seasons at the helm of the Hoyas' program, which recorded its best season last year. Nagel led the team to a 24-6 record, making school history twice by first winning the Big East and then receiving an invitation to the NCAA tournament. In recognition of this achievement, she received Big East and District I Coach of the Year honors. But all of these accomplishments are in the past. The question on the minds of the Blue Devils is: How will she work in Durham and in the ACC? Thus far, her players have not had many complaints. "At first everyone was apprehensive, not knowing exactly what was going to happen coming into the preseason," senior Jami Ediger said. "But it's been great. Everyone's fired up for a new start, a new beginning.... She's been great about remaining positive and focusing on the little things to make us a better team." In order to get the preseason started on the right foot, Nagel needed to gain the trust and commitment of the players, especially the seniors who played under Grensing for the previous three years. "It was really hard when I heard Linda was leaving because I wondered about what kind of coach we were going to get," Ediger said. "I wasn't sure if she was just going to work with the freshmen and the sophomores. But it has been a really positive change." Because Nagel was hired just before the start of practice, she used the first week of the preseason to learn about the players and their strengths and weaknesses. Instead of jumping right in and enforcing her opinions, she took time to watch the team play before making any changes, which the team greatly appreciated. "She didn't get on us right away for little technical mistakes," Ediger said. "She let us play for a while and then would step in and make some suggestions. She's been great about remaining positive and focusing on the little things to make us a better team." Nagel has used the opening weeks of practice to work on the basics. She believes a solid fundamental game of passing, hitting and serving will help eliminate unforced errors and hopes that Duke can build from this solid foundation. "I think no matter what the situation I would have started the preseason focusing on fundamentals," Nagel said. "On top of these basics, though, we still have to work together offensively to accomplish our goals. I need to know all my players' capabilities and figure out what will work best offensively." One thing Nagel certainly understands is the balance between athletics and academics, which makes her a perfect fit at Duke. Her previous coaching stints have also been at universities with high academic standards. As is shown by her 204-134 career record, Nagel knows exactly how to help her players find this difficult balance. The team is excited to be under Nagel's guidance right now, and Nagel is looking forward to a great future at the University. More importantly, she has a certain confidence that could take her a long way. "I feel," she explains, "like Duke is the premiere institution in the ACC."