Nov. 9, 2007

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - USC Upstate women's basketball head coach Tammy George does her best to practice a tireless work ethic every day, which is something that she is trying to pass along to her team. George will lead the Spartans into their first Division I game Saturday, November 10, when they travel to Kentucky. After two seasons at the helm of the women's basketball program, George has compiled a 27-31 record and guided the Spartans to an NCAA Division II tournament appearance in 2006. In her four years as head coach, she has a record of 70-52.

George recently sat down with Adam Walker of upstatespartans.com to talk about her team, road trips, and pick-up games with co-workers.

US.com: How hard has your team been preparing for their first game this weekend?
Tammy George: Very hard. That's been our theme: to try and outwork people. We've been working hard for not only this game, but for the whole season as well.

US.com: Are you excited about your team's first Division I game?
TG: I am very excited. Obviously, its against Kentucky which has a lot of basketball tradition and we're very excited. It didn't matter who we were playing our first Division I game against, but it just happens to be a school that has a lot of tradition.

US.com: What is the best part about going on the road to play games?
TG: Just to get away and travel. We get to spend time together, get on a bus and spend some time away from USC Upstate.

US.com: How do you assistant coaches, Kiki Glass, Kevin Nichols, and Bill Tinder, fit in what your vision for the team is?
TG: They fit very well. We're all on the same page. We all want to do this and we realize it's a challenge, but we all want to do this together.

US.com: What was it like playing for a traveling exhibition team like the Smoky Mountain Swarm after you graduated from college?
TG: It was really fun and I enjoyed it. It gave me a chance to put a uniform back on and compete and I missed that. In coaching, you're still competing, but you don't get to touch the floor and I miss that.

US.com: Which one of your players makes you laugh the most?
TG: I would say Oceana (Jackson). She kind of lives in her own little world and she's very funny.

US.com: You play in pick-up games with your co-workers in the USC Upstate athletic department. Who is the fiercest competitor in those games?
TG: Probably Richard Stinson (PC Support Technician) because I think he gets tired of getting beat by a girl.

US.com: You and assistant coach Bill Tinder worked together at Wofford before you came to Upstate. Why did you decide to bring him in on your staff?
TG: (Bill) does a lot of great things for the program. He's very well known in Spartanburg and he takes a lot off of me by taking care of the little things that I don't have to worry about. He's a great addition to our program.

US.com: The men's basketball team is traveling almost 13,000 miles for road games this season. Could you see your team doing something like that?
TG: We're on the road a lot this season because of our first year in Division I. It's a possibility. I know that we're possibly going to Cozumel, Mexico, for a tournament next year. So, that should be interesting.

US.com: Did you ever imagine yourself one day being the head coach of a Division I basketball program?
TG: It's not something I set out to be. It just happened very quickly, but I'm very excited about being here and about the challenge that lies before us.