Coach Inspires Hard Work, Loyalty
Shannon Reidy believes in tough love. On the court, the women's basketball coach sets high standards for her players. "I'm definitely known as a tough coach. I'm intense and I demand a lot from my players," Reidy says. Off the court, Reidy assumes a more nurturing role. "I try to guide them and help them make good decisions in life," she says. This coaching style has attracted a number of top-flight recruits in Reidy's three years as Loyola's head coach, and it recently persuaded two players from Reidy's high school coaching days to transfer to Loyola.
Keisha Collins and Caitlin Pauley both played for Reidy when she coached at Marian Catholic High School, a basketball powerhouse in Chicago. Collins finished her freshman year at the University of Southern Indiana before transferring to Loyola in 2006. Pauley received a scholarship to the University of Cincinnati last fall, but transferred to Loyola before playing one minute for the Bearcats.
Both players made the switch knowing that they would have to sit out a season to be eligible under NCAA rules. "Once you play for Coach Reidy, you don't want to play for anyone else. She motivates everyone to do their best, and she cares about her players off the court," says Collins, a 5-foot, 6-inch sophomore and starting point guard for the Ramblers.
Pauley, a 6-foot, 3-inch freshman forward, is on the practice squad this year and will begin her four years of eligibility next season. She decided to leave Cincinnati after a coaching change, and Loyola was her first and only choice. "I wanted to be with Coach Reidy again," Pauley says. "Her intensity puts a fire inside of you and makes you want to play better."
Reidy hopes Collins and Pauley bring with them the playing talents and the drive for success they displayed at Marian Catholic. The Spartans are a perennial top-ranked team in Illinois, routinely making the trip downstate for the playoffs. Reidy took the team to IHSA tournament three times, including the championship game in 2002.
At Loyola, Reidy is only beginning to make her mark. The current starting squad consists of four sophomores and a freshman, and, as a result, the young Ramblers have struggled at times. Reidy is not accustomed to losing. "It's frustrating at times," Reidy says. "But we're a young team, and we have a bright future. If Keisha and Caitlin can help build a winning tradition here, we're going to be that much stronger."
John T. Slania (BA '79)