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It doesn't take someone long to figure out that Maine head coach Cindy Blodgett has a passion for the University. Whether speaking with local organizations, the media, prospective recruits, or friends of the program, she is quick to point out the storied success of the program and how it will be a part of even bigger and better things in the future. Blodgett's burning desire to continue the proud tradition of the program is the same one she had while as a player at Maine. The accolades that she accumulated while at Maine as a player speak for themselves ... two (2) America East Player-of-the-Year awards; four (4) WBCA District I All-America honors; three (3) time ECAC Division I All-Star; four (4) NCAA Tournament appearances; four (4) America East Tournament MVP awards; four (4) time America East First-Team selection; 3,005 career points. For all the impressive individual accomplishments, Blodgett is most proud of her team's accomplishments, including the four-straight America East Tournament titles which enabled the team to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Blodgett believes those championships aren't a thing of the past, but are just the start of great things to come in Orono. "The University of Maine provides a solid education, unlimited opportunities, and quality people to assist you to become successful," Blodgett says of her alma mater. "The Maine women's basketball program is known statewide for its pride, tradition, and fan support. All of these things add up for an outstanding college experience." BUILDING A FOUNDATION Upon returning to Maine, Blodgett quickly instilled a rigorous workout plan that she used as player in becoming one of the finest competitors in conference history. The team bought into the system and played hard in every game last season. A young Black Bear squad (which returned only 19 percent of its scoring and 28 percent of its minutes from the previous season) turned in several strong performances on the season, including a win over ACC-foe Miami in the opening round of the Hurricane Holiday Classic in Coral Gables, Fla. The Black Bears' 54-53 win over the Hurricanes marked the just the fifth win in program history over an ACC opponent. The Black Bears proved to be a solid team at home in conference play as they posted a 4-4 record, including an 82-77 win over Boston University on Jan. 23. The win came against the same BU team which would advance all the way to the America East Tournament title game in March. Maine was also recognized at the league's annual year-end banquet, as freshman guard Tanna Ross was named to the America East All-Rookie Team. Ross became the 10th player in program history to be named to the squad and the first since Abby Schrader in 2003. Off the court, the Black Bears were active in the community while also turning in several outstanding achievements in the classroom. The team took part in several events including Race for the Cure, Run for Hope, and spending time with several local Special Olympics teams. Maine had 11 players named to the America East Academic Honor Roll in the spring, and as a team, ranked 16th nationally in the WBCA poll for highest overall team grade point average at 3.345. Maine was the only school in America East to be ranked in the national top-25 poll, and finished ahead of a pair of Ivy League schools. WELCOME BACK COACH Blodgett returned to her alma mater on May 23, 2007, when she was introduced as the 10th head coach in program history. "Anyone who knows me knows that I enjoy challenges," she said at her introductory news conference. "There is a tremendous amount of support for this program and I am happy to be back home." Blodgett returned to Maine after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach with the Brown women's basketball team, including helping to lead the team to a share of the 2006 Ivy League championship. At Brown, she was the recruiting coordinator and coordinated the daily operations of the program. One of her recruits, Lindsay Walls, was selected to the Ivy League All-Rookie team. She planned daily practices, managed the operational and recruiting budgets, implemented game strategies and monitored student-athletes' academic progress. Prior to Brown, she served as an assistant coach at Boston University from 1999-2000. "We are excited to have Cindy return to the University of Maine as our new head coach," said Athletic Director Blake James at the press conference. "I believe she is the perfect role model for our student-athletes as she has experienced success at all levels of basketball and excelled academically as a student at Maine." A LEGENDARY PLAYING CAREER A four-time All-American, Blodgett was just the second woman in NCAA Division I history to lead the nation in scoring for two-consecutive seasons, averaging over 27 points per game in her sophomore and junior seasons at Maine. She finished her career with the Black Bears with 3,005 points, breaking a total of 20 school records. Blodgett ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history in scoring. She led Maine to its first four appearances in the NCAA Tournament in the program's history. In both 1996 and 1998, she was the America East Player of the Year, while also being named a preseason candidate for the Naismith Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998. In addition to her on-the-court accomplishments, Blodgett was also a standout in the classroom. She earned Academic All-America honors in 1998. "I am thrilled with Cindy being named the head coach at Maine," said former Maine head coach and current Duke University head coach Joanne Palombo-McCallie. "I can't think of a better fit and can't think of a better person to lead the way. She is gifted, she has worked very hard and understands the commitment it will take to elevate the program. This is a wonderful hire and I commend Blake, Anne Pooler, and the search committee for their efforts. I am excited for Cindy in every possible way. I will be watching her closely and look forward to helping her in any way. This is a wonderful hire that should be celebrated by everybody across the state of Maine." After a storied career at the University of Maine, Blodgett went on to play in the WNBA from 1998-2002. Drafted sixth overall in 1998, she played for the Cleveland Rockers for one season, before going on to play with the Sacramento Monarchs for three seasons. She has also played internationally in Korea, two years in France and for the National Women's Basketball League. For three years, Blodgett ran a summer skills basketball camp in Waterville, Maine. A native of Clinton, Maine, Blodgett led Lawrence High School to four-straight Class A State Championships. She is Maine's all-time leading scorer in high school basketball with 2,596 career points. She was named Maine Gatorade Player of the Year in 1992, 1993 and 1994, and was Miss Basketball in Maine in 1994. Blodgett was also the Portland Press Herald Athlete of the Year in 1994, and the recipient of the Bangor Daily News Owen Osborne Award. Blodgett earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education from Maine in 1998, graduating cum laude. |
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