Perspective, positivity never stray for Cullop during tough 2020-21 season

Feb. 28—Tricia Cullop gazed into a computer screen for the umpteenth time during a season that's gone off-script.

The Toledo women's basketball team had just suffered its 10th loss in 14 games, this time at Eastern Michigan after the Rockets squandered a first-half lead and missed several free throws in the fourth quarter.

Anguish was evident in her piercing eyes. Optimism was heard in her voice.

No matter how burdensome the moment gets, Cullop's persistent positivity pervades the air.

"This is difficult," she told The Blade during a socially-distanced interview in her office. "We're young. I wish we could win more games than we have. But I've been through a lot worse than this. I went through a two-year span where I lost both of my parents. If you want to talk about hard, that was hard.

"This is developing young kids. The pains that we're going through now will blossom in the future. We just have to be patient and positive and help them develop. I can see it. I wish it would develop faster. But I also understand that good things take time."

Strike up a conversation with a UT athletic department employee, whether it's athletic director Mike O'Brien or an usher at a women's basketball game, and you're sure to hear a story about Cullop's generosity and kindness. She's a force for good in the local community, a friendly face involved in numerous charitable causes.

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Cullop's interpersonal adroitness and marketing savvy, not to mention Toledo's success, has engendered support from northwest Ohioans who flock to UT women's games. The Rockets routinely rank among the top attendance leaders nationally.

"Her communication skills are off the charts," O'Brien said. "She refuses to live in a negative bubble. That's why she's such an upbeat person and very successful on and off the court. Tricia would admit that this has been a difficult year, but she's staying incredibly positive for the staff and the team. This too shall pass. We're incredibly young so, clearly, better days are ahead."

In a 21-year career, Cullop has won nearly 60 percent of her games, with seven 20-win seasons, 14 winning records, five conference and division championships, a trip to the NCAA tournament, and a WNIT title. She's the winningest coach in Toledo history.

But the past two years — Cullop's worst seasons at UT — have not been easy. Throw in the coronavirus pandemic, a tornado of paralysis that's upended the world, and the brutality has been intensified. It doesn't help that archrival Bowling Green is in the midst of a program revival.

"You kind of just go with the flow," Cullop said. "You can't get too upset about anything. Tomorrow's never promised, right? What this situation has taught me is that I'm really grateful that our players had the opportunity to play and that I have an amazing staff that's fun to be around. We watched our seniors last year not get to finish their season."

Youth is the theme of the 2020-21 Rockets (10-12, 6-12 Mid-American Conference) as their top six scorers are freshmen and sophomores. Eight players average double-digit minutes per game — six are underclassmen.

The growing pains haven't been without bright spots.

Toledo beat Central Michigan on Wednesday, took Kent State to overtime, and a majority of its 12 MAC losses have been decided in the final minutes. With three and four more years of the underclassmen due to this year's eligibility rules and a talented recruiting class, the future expectation is winning.

"There's a fine line in college athletics of being optimistic and positive because part of our job is critiquing ourselves as coaches and our team so that we can get better," associate head coach Jessie Ivey said. "[Cullop] is really good at finding that fine line, making us better, but then connecting with our players to build them up."

A voracious reader, Cullop breezed through Jennifer Ashton's instructive book The New Normal, a self-help publication of sorts that teaches patience, perspective, and resilience amid the pandemic. Cullop is cognizant of the challenges her players are currently encountering, injecting a little more laughter into practices and keeping her message more constructive after mistakes.

"That two to four hours that we're spending together each day is like great medicine for the soul," Cullop said. "Do things upset me? Yeah. But I have to take a deep breath and realize I've had players lose loved ones to COVID. Maybe there's been a tragedy and they haven't been able to go home. A majority of their classes are virtual. They aren't able to have those normal bonding moments on campus that most student-athletes get to have. They aren't getting the normal college experience. I try to keep that in perspective."

There's a combination of respect and adoration from players. The level of effort, especially during second-half deficits, is evidence of the high regard they have for Cullop. Friction isn't visible on the bench, and body language rarely becomes negative.

"She lets us know that she's always here for us," sophomore guard Quinesha Lockett said. "She's very positive about everything. She's patient. She always makes it fun."

Ivey refers to the Rockets as a basketball family. While they might be away from their immediate family, the familial culture established by Cullop has contributed to some sense of normalcy during abnormal times. Last week, a group of players and an assistant coach went sledding, a light moment that created laughs.

Cullop doesn't want acclaim for simply being nice, a trait she views as doing the right thing. There are daily frustrations. And losses do take a toll, festering in the back of her mind. But when she wakes up in the morning, she decides that it'll be better than the previous day.

"If you don't do that, then you're wasting a lot of energy on things you can't control," Cullop said. "You can't change the past, but you can certainly do something to make the future better."

It's why she's proud of the 2020-21 Rockets, even though they won't play in the MAC tournament, let alone March Madness. A decade from now, Cullop will recall positive memories because of the determination and lack of quibbling at a time when complaints would have been understandable.

"They've worked hard every day," she said. "They've had great attitudes. We've laughed a lot. I think we'll all look back and say, 'Gosh, look how resilient we were when we had so many obstacles that could have taken us down.'"

Those who share the hallways in the Sullivan Athletic Complex notice a distinct virtuosity.

"Athletics is no different than the economy, the business world, education. It's cyclical," UT men's basketball coach Tod Kowalczyk said.

"She's had an outstanding program for so many years. The thing I really respect so much about her is she has not changed one bit this year in how she approaches her team, her workday, her staff. She's the same Tricia Cullop from when she was 29-8. That's a sign of true excellence."