Not able to access, but agree Aleah will fill the role of Katie, and, will be a great at coaching up the guards. Aleah will also help Coach Rueck quickly identify the qualified PG candidates.
I just hope the WBB program is prepared to schedule some tough OOC opponents starting next season.
They didn't make it easy, copy and paste only worked in bits and pieces, but here it is. No easy way to steal the video -interview, for that ya gotta pay the $1.
Aleah Goodman’s phone blew up this spring when Oregon State University announced that it was seeking to hire a new assistant women’s basketball coach.
“I had my whole family sending it to me basically being like ‘Apply! Are you going to apply?’” Goodman said.
Goodman, 24, was completing her second year as the Director of Recruiting and Player Development at Duke, working under head coach Kara Lawson. Goodman had seen the announcement and was interested in returning to Oregon State where she was an all-Pac-12 Conference selection as a senior.
Oregon State coach Scott Rueck said bringing Goodman back into the program was a natural continuation of the role she once held as a player.
For Goodman, returning to Oregon State is not just a professional move, it also brings her closer to her family. Goodman was a star at La Salle Prep in Milwaukie and led the team to 5A state titles in 2015 and 2017.
“It’s just been awesome to be back. This is home for me. My family is an hour away. It’s comfortable, it’s back to what I know and what I’m used to. I love the staff here, I love the team here, so it’s been great,” Goodman said.
After graduating in 2021, Goodman had to decide whether to continue her playing career or move into coaching. Wrapping up a playing career can be difficult, but Goodman had always known she wanted to be a coach.
“I had so many impactful coaches in my career that have played such a big role in my life, so that was kind of what I wanted to do, be that person for other kids and young women,” Goodman said.
Goodman had gotten to know Lawson in 2019 when she was a member of the United States’ 3X3 team. That squad was coached by Lawson, who went on to become the Duke head coach in 2020. Their relationship ultimately led Lawson to offer Goodman a role with the Blue Devils.
At Duke, Goodman got to learn about aspects of running a college basketball program, which are invisible to the players. She saw how a program works behind the scenes and was especially involved in helping organize on-campus recruiting.
Goodman was not an on-court coach at Duke, but she watched practices and was part of the discussions with the coaching staff. She also got to know Jon Scheyer, Duke’s men’s basketball coach following the retirement of Mike Krzyzewski.
“To experience a different program was such a learning experience for me and I was able to get to know Jon Scheyer well and his staff, they’re great people, so being around both programs was really special. I loved North Carolina, I loved Durham,” Goodman said.
In a twist that no one could have seen coming when Goodman first accepted the job, she ended up being joined at Duke by two former Oregon State teammates: Taya Corosdale and Kennedy Brown each transferred to Duke for the 2022-23 season.
And that was not the only connection between the two programs. The Beavers and the Blue Devils faced off last December as part of the Phil Knight Legacy Tournament in Portland.
Goodman acknowledges that was a strange experience.
“It was different. I wasn’t really wanting that game to happen because it’s hard. I was on Duke’s side so we wanted to win that game, but it’s very hard to root against Oregon State and root against the Beavers,” Goodman said. “It was weird for sure but it was fun to see everyone and get to say hi.”
At Oregon State, Goodman is a traditional assistant coach and she has already begun working on court with players during the limited hours allowed during the summer. Rueck said bringing in an assistant coach who is so familiar with the program made the transition very efficient.
“She is a great human, she understands our culture. She flourished here in every way and now to have her back investing into our players, adding a new layer to our program and bringing her expertise is extremely valuable,” Rueck said
That familiarity is especially valuable this season because the team will begin practicing Thursday in preparation for an international tour.
After a short training camp, the team will travel to Italy for a series of games against professional teams. The NCAA allows teams to make a preseason trip once every four years and Rueck said this year’s tour is “perfect timing.”
“It’s ideal. We have seven returners, we have six new athletes that are joining us and these ten practices are going to be extremely valuable to our progression and how we grow together,” Rueck said. “We’re just going to grow immensely. Leadership will emerge.”
Goodman made the international trip prior to her junior season and said the experience was memorable.
“You’re able to get in the gym and start practice early, which is huge," she said. "Big for the coaches and also the players as well. It’s your first road trip and it’s the first time being together fully as a team. You’re spending every hour of the day with each other.”
