In just one season, Tierra Jackson unknowingly discovered the duality that marked former Syracuse women’s basketball head coach Marianna Freeman’s 10-year tenure.

“I liked playing with Coach Free. She was a cool person,” Jackson said one minute.

The next: “A lot of times, me and Coach Freeman bumped heads.”

So Jackson’s got Freeman figured out. The next — and more important — step for Jackson, a freshman, and her Orangewomen teammates is figuring out their next coach.

“It kind of hurts us, because everybody has to start over,” Jackson said. “Learn the new coach, their style and how they play. It’s sort of like a new beginning.”

When Freeman resigned last Tuesday, she said that was her intention — to give the Orangewomen a fresh start with a new coach. This noble idea drew mixed reviews from the Orangewomen.

“I’m upset,” SU junior Shannon Perry said. “But whatever is best for the team has to be done.”

“Some people are upset about it,” Jackson said. “I’m upset because she’s leaving. But in the same token, I just got here. There’s no way for me to be upset as (point guard) Julie (McBride) and the captains, because they’ve been here longer. They’ve worked with her longer.“

But adjusting to Freeman’s replacement will also be difficult for the many young players on Syracuse’s roster. Five Orangewomen played their first season this year, and they might find learning their second system in two years overwhelming.

“As a freshman, I just got here,” Jackson said. “Everything given to me was new. I enjoyed the experience as far as being on the court. The experience that I learned last year, I’ll take it with me next year to make me better, make me stronger.”

Syracuse will be better and stronger next year as a whole, too. The Orangewomen graduated one player — seldom-used Maja Omanovic — from this year’s 10-18 team. In addition, two redshirted players — Chineze Nwagbo and Marchele Campbell — will join SU next fall. And Syracuse returns its entire starting lineup.

“Maybe I’m putting a little pressure on them, but I told them that they can be a top-10 team,” Freeman said last Tuesday. “These kids can do a lot. I look at this team, and I know where they can go. A new person coming in with a lot of energy can give them just a push.”

Said Jackson: ‘I’m very excited. I really can’t wait. The captains were telling us to go home this summer to work hard to make sure when you come, you come in ready to play. Everybody is excited about next year.”

Undoubtedly, Syracuse possesses the potential for a turnaround season. But any success SU has next season will be predicated upon how well it responds to its new coach. For the moment, that adds a degree of uncertainty to the excitement.

“I have no clue as to what they’re going to do for who the new coach is,” Jackson said. “Whoever comes in, we might get somebody better than Coach Free, we might get somebody worse than Coach Free. I’m just happy to have the opportunity to play on the court.”

Published on March 23, 2003 at 12:00 pm