MAAC Coaching Spotlight – Quinnipiac’s Tricia Fabbri
Edison, N.J. (May 5, 2020) – Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tricia Fabbri sat down with the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to provide insights on her life, the canceled 2020 Hercules Tires MAAC Basketball Championships, and the Quinnipiac program. Fabbri has guided the Bobcats program to four MAAC Championships since joining the league in the 2013-14 season.
Q: Entering the 2019-20 season the Bobcats were on a 52-game MAAC winning streak, what did that streak mean to you and the program?
A: It showed just how incredible those teams were. To have a stretch where we didn’t have a night where the team didn't show up. I knew when we were going through it, we never talked about it, somebody just always made a play that would let us win. Going through this season and seeing all the teams like Marist and Rider, it shows us just how difficult it is. But the teams just showed a real toughness, a mental toughness and togetherness of just always finding a way during moments when they were challenged. That's just so difficult to do night in and night out. The fact that it happened over two years is amazing. I appreciated it then, but as time passes you appreciate it even more. It was just incredible what those teams were able to do.
Q: After losing so many players (graduation) from the year prior, what was the message to your team at the beginning of the season?
A: We are who we are, and we're going to get better in the beginning, the middle, and the end. Let's be comfortable with who we are and not live in the shadows of what we've been or who has worn the jersey. I think that's exactly who we were this year. We didn't worry about who wasn't playing, we were focused on what we had, who was on the floor, and how we were going to get better.
Q: Who are some players on your roster that you feel really progressed this season?
A: Wow. I think so many players jumped into roles and expanded throughout the season. One of them was Jaden Ward, a senior for us who was always involved in minutes throughout her career. Each year she has been that role player that you expect to come in and contribute, but she really did a great job for us this year coming off the bench and in starting rolls. I don’t think there was one player that did what the coaches really needed her to do or what the team needed in any type of situation more than her. She really stabilized us and was all about the team. I think going through this year and going forward, she is a person who we will really talk about having a team-first mentality. A complete team-first player, wherever we needed her, she contributed. Again, she will be pointed to for seasons to come as truly being unselfish and team-first. I think it was her role that we’ve really made a point to discuss to everybody. That’s why we have been a perennial power in the MAAC, because kids like her just get it. It was a role that was pivotal for us this year.
Q: What were your thoughts on the freshman class?
A: Our freshman class was fantastic this year, and was really thrown into the fire right away in order to win games. They were impactful from the beginning and all the way through the entire season. They weren't without their ups and downs and inconsistencies, but talk about being able to transition from high school to a high-level program and play a schedule like we did. To be able to have the kind of production that we had from those young ladies was pretty impressive. All year long they were unstoppable. Again, at times inconsistent, but they were never overwhelmed, and that was pivotal. They were very impactful.
Q: What are some team-building activities that you and your team partake in?
A: Typically, on Fridays we had a morning practice slot, so we would bring in some food and relax a little bit. We'd bring out some cornhole too. I have custom cornhole boards that my husband bought for me that I brought up to school, so we'd throw around the bean bags and share a meal together after a weeks-long worth of practice. I’d put on whatever game was on TV for us all to watch, that was pretty customary every Friday throughout the season. Whenever we would travel and we had time, the team would go bowling. Right now, we've been Zooming every week with the exception of this one because it’s the last week of classes. We do some other activities too. Last week we had our nutritionist on and we cooked dishes with Dana White and our trainer Becky Mella. We usually get pretty creative, but we try to keep it authentic and not too contrived so it's an enjoyable time for all throughout the season, so we can relax and be together.
Q: After seeing what the team was able to accomplish this year, what can we expect from Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball next season?
A: Obviously, we're really excited with the roster we have and what these young ladies are doing. I think they're really learning to be creative in their workouts with strength and conditioning and training, but in the comforts of their own home. They have to be creative, and there's some independence involved. Some of them, frankly, don't have their own hoop. It's tough to find a hoop since a lot of them have already been taken down and covered in their communities. But I like the fact that they actually need to figure out these challenges by themselves, I think that's a good growth opportunity. But we are excited with the roster and who we have coming in and the schedule that we will be playing. We fully expect to be playing for an opportunity to cut down the nets, get another ring, and advance into the NCAA Tournament.
Q: Although your team did not get the chance to play, what were your thoughts on the MAAC’s first year in Atlantic City?
A: Personally, and professionally, people asked me why I wanted to go away from Albany. I'm a big believer in trying new things. Obviously, we've had a lot of success in Albany, but I thought let's try Atlantic City. I thought that it had a better destination feel, and the weather was cooperative when we were down there. The excitement going into the hotel, the Hard Rock, and to walk the boardwalk at this new destination, it really did have more of an electric atmosphere. The personal piece is that I'm from South Jersey, so I had a good and loyal fanbase down there ready to support the Bobcats.
Q: What was your personal reaction when the championships were canceled?
A: We were taped and ready to go. We had gone to shoot that morning; Fairfield was shooting before us. It was strange. The night before, the NBA paused the season, so that really took a very serious turn in terms of what may or may not happen next. So, we got back from our shoot-around and I was getting ready for the game. All the news was coming across the crawler, I was listening to Jay Bilas and the ESPN crew saying that every conference tournament is being canceled. From there, you just start to think that the momentum, it's all heading towards us and it's almost inevitable that we would follow along. We loaded the bus and we were ready to go until we heard otherwise, we were in the locker room just ready to go. At that point, you just thought the inevitable was happening. It was a complete 180 from 48 hours before, where we thought this couldn't happen, to now, where you just go “wow” this is actually happening. Just an incredible turn of events, how abrupt it was. Just for the safety of everyone involved, it had to be done.
Q: How was this news broken to student-athletes, and what was their reaction?
A: I think by that point, when you're in a pregame routine and told to stay in the locker room, we were just waiting. At that point, everybody just thought since everyone else is canceling, it's just something that's going to happen. But telling the team was very difficult. We had three seniors that had won three-straight years. It wasn't easy to say to anybody, that it was over, and we're no exception. To tell that to the seniors, and everyone really, telling them that we're not going to have a chance to go out and play. Just the sheer disappointment of not being able to have the opportunity to survive and advance, that decision was made for you. It had to be made though.
Q: Did it hurt even more that you and your team did not have a chance to compete?
A: Yeah, at the time. I think now you're seeing the seriousness of the real world trying to manage this. You take your slice of basketball out of it, you’re thankful to get your players and your team home safely and hope they remain healthy. That's what I'm thankful for now, that everyone is still healthy. The parents that are essential, they are still healthy. It gives you a better perspective now. At the time it was just hard to imagine, because it's never happened. For everyone who played, to not have a hand in your own fate, it was just strange. Now as time goes by and you see the devastation that this has caused, you're just thankful that everyone in the MAAC and our Bobcat family is healthy. That's the takeaway.
Q: How do you and your team communicate during the pandemic?
A: The players are all on a text thread, so everyone will always shoot out some different things at different times. Some people send some funny things of what they're doing and everybody just talks with their group of friends. That's pretty random. With others we can FaceTime, we have our team Zoom on Thursdays too. Individually, just reaching out either through FaceTime or text and speaking to them one-on-one. We make sure we're available so that there's always a free flow of conversation with what's going on. Everybody seems to be managing pretty well.
Q: What are some of the difficulties you are currently facing with recruiting?
A: Initially, you think about how you can be productive, how you can effectively move the recruiting forward when it's not live. You have to get creative with what you are allowed to do. Our virtual home visits have been better than expected. They've been the singular most positive tool. What we've been able to take advantage of with recruiting, it has allowed the recruit’s families and coaches to come directly into my home as opposed to sitting on a baseline. Obviously, it's what we're built on, but I think it's allowed them to really get to know Tricia rather than Coach Fabbri. There's not that “impress the coach and play well” mentality when I'm on the baseline. With home visits and virtual tours, it has allowed them to really see Tricia first, which has been great. So, I think they have been really positive. The time has allowed us to truly connect and really get to know our talent. It has also allowed us to really connect with old friends and coaches in the business, people you have relationships with that you can strengthen and deepen. Then there are the coaches that you want to get to know even better, that you want to know about you and your program. You have that time to build, that's been one of the best parts of having that time, to be really productive.
Q: It’s interesting that you cast such a positive light on the subject when there are many others that share opposite feelings.
A: I think it's something really constructive that will lead us to produce even bigger and better results from the past. I really do believe that. It kind of seems like it doesn't make sense right? How are you going to get the same results, how is it going to happen? I think in the end we might be finding our best class in a long time, and I think that's saying something because we've had some great classes come through.
Q: What are some things you have personally been doing during the pandemic?
A: I have all three children home. My son just finished his last day of classes at Syracuse from home yesterday. He is supposed to graduate. I also have a senior in high school, so I really feel for every senior in the country that doesn't know when graduation is going to take place. It takes away from a lot of the hard work those seniors put in over the years, just not knowing when they'll be able to walk across that stage. But we've been home, we've had game nights. We've been trying to figure out how to play Rummy, everybody has their own version of it. A ton of walking, a ton of baking, a ton of cooking, a ton of Zooming. Really what has been great, it has been a time to circle back through a bunch of my friends who I don't always have a chance to talk to. Having some really fun conversations. People from back in high school, college, family. Today I actually have a family Zoom at 5:00 and a Zoom with some of my friends at 7:00. It's been really connecting with everyone who's been in your circle, but we just get a lot more quality time and are able to connect.
Q: What is the first thing you are going to do when allowed back on campus?
A: Well, I don't know if I'll be able to hug anybody, we will probably still have to be socially distant, right? It depends what we're allowed to do, but I'll be excited to be all back together. I'll just be happy for that moment where we're all allowed to be back and we're all on the court catching up with each other.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 39
th year of competition during the 2019-20 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona College, Manhattan College, Marist College, Monmouth University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.