Stanford’s New Director of Basketball Operations

Article by Bob Iacopi

Photos by Don Anderson

Stanford has a new Director of Basketball Operations this year. Eileen Roche brings an impressive set of credentials to her new job, and we managed to get her to take a few minutes out of a very crowded schedule to tell us something about herself and her job.

“Sports have always been a big part of my life,” Eileen admits. After my childhood in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, I went to Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU), where I played field hockey, softball, and basketball. I was a guard, or a wing, as we say here. I graduated in 1981 with a BA in Physical / Health Education and a Minor in Coaching . After earning 12 varsity letters , I was honored to be inducted into the University’s Athletic Hall Of Fame in 1989.”

It was natural for Eileen to move from playing into coaching. “First I was an assistant basketball coach at Virginia Tech University for a year. Then I came out to Stanford in 1982, where I was an assistant under Head Coach Dotty McCrea for three years. That was a great time; among our players was Debbie Gore-Mann, who is now Senior Assistant Athletic Director here.

“Tara Van Derveer became Stanford’s head coach in 1985-1986. I actually met Tara in 1979 because a former OWU teammate, Beth Burns, was her graduate assistant at Ohio State. Amy Tucker was playing on the Ohio State team at that time.

”It’s funny how things work out. It’s just a wonderful situation. I am very fortunate to be a part of this unique program. Tara told me I have been recycled.”

But Eileen soon realized that she had a natural aptitude for administrative work, and moved off the court and into directing athletic championships. For 14 years, she was a Site Director/Event Coordinator with the Central Coast Section (CCS), which includes 130 high schools from San Francisco to King City.

“Each school participates in 15 leagues, and they all have a championship series of some kind, in November, February and May,” she said with a sigh.. But I had my summers off, so I could carpool my own kids to camps and be a full-time Mom.”

For the past two years, Eileen has been running the game clock at Stanford games. “This gave me a chance reconnect with coaches I have known for years. Tammy Stephens, the Operations Director, left Stanford in April of this year to take a new job at San Diego State. The position opened, I applied and was hired.

Eileen spends her days behind a desk or in meetings. “I’m not involved in coaching or in recruiting. I am an administrator, which means I am working behind the scenes all the time. I see myself as a support and background person. If you never hear my name, that means I’m doing a good job.

“I am also Director of Tara VanDerveer’s Basketball Camps, which is a big job and getting bigger. We had just under 1,000 campers this past year, and we’re trying to get it back up above 1,500. During the season, I am in charge of scheduling practice times, when the team is here and on the road. And when visiting teams come here, I work with Stanford Facilities Department to make sure there is time for their practice and shoot-arounds. On a typical Thursday-Saturday home schedule, one visiting team will want a shoot-around on Thursday, and then the second team will want a full practice on Friday and a shoot-around on Saturday. Sometimes it gets a bit tricky, because the men’s basketball and the volleyball teams also need some time at Maples.”

Most important for us, Eileen also coordinates events with the Fast Break Club. “That’s a real kick,” she admits, “because I still know people who were around back in the days when I was an assistant coach and from my involvement with the 1999 NCAA Final Four in San Jose. Many FBC member’s were volunteer’s under my position as Liaison with the WBCA. I’ve been a fan of this basketball program for more than two decades now, and it’s really nice to get the fans involved.

“FBC members have such incredible spirit and energy. We have almost 200 members now, and we’ll get more once the team starts playing.

“I’m still on the learning curve. There are new things to deal with every day. But I never get bored, and I love the challenge. My theory is that whatever needs to be done, I do it. I’m very organized and I believe that if I’m not part of the solution, I’m part of the problem.

“The rest of the staff is wonderful. Every day, when we leave the office, everyone tells me ‘If you need anything, just call me’. They are so supportive. We’re all trying to get the same job done as efficiently as possible. I’m very blessed to be back here, and I think I fit in well.”

Even though Eileen is not directly involved with the players, game day brings a whole new set of responsibilities. “I’m in charge of coordinating all the activities at the scorer’s table, the 30-second clock, the game clock—I’m really replacing myself—and the official scorebook. If there are any Fast Break Club pre-game or post-game activities, I’m in charge of coordinating those, making sure the rooms are available, and the speakers all show up on time. “It’s very similar to the CCS championship management in that I am the first one there, and the last one to leave.

Eileen brings a special perspective to The Farm. “As a former player and coach, I really enjoy watching this team. Coach Tara is such an incredible strategist, and she is working with very intelligent players, so this is basketball at its best.

“When I coached, the really strong player was the exception. You watch these women now—they’re all tough. They’re fundamentally sound, they’re strong, they know the game. In a program like this, all the players know that they have to get ready for post-season games. They know that the teams that are still strong in March will have the best chance of success. This is not a sprint, it’s a long-distance run.

“At the same time, the players are into other things. They are not single-focused. They define the term student-athlete. That makes them efficient. When you are carrying 12 units, and you have to perform like any other student on campus despite your basketball schedule, you learn how to get things done. You don’t have time to fool around and waste your time.”

Eileen opted not to travel with the basketball team during the regular season. She and husband Robert Broom have two sons, and she likes to be involved with their school activities and attend their sports events whenever possible. Conor, 16, is a junior at St. Francis High School, and Christian, 13, is in the seventh grade at St. Pius in Redwood City. They swim, play water polo, and play basketball. Because of their mother’s background, Conor and Chistian grew up with a slightly different perspective on sports. “I remember one time when the boys were about 3 and 7,” Eileen recalls, “we were all at the San Jose State Event Center watching a double header basketball game, women followed by men. San Diego State was in town. Coach Beth Burns invited Eileen’s family to join the Women Aztecs to a post game dinner. Between games, while we were waiting for the women’s team to get on the bus, the men’s teams ran by us , out onto the floor. Christian got very excited and started shouting , ‘Mommy, look. The boys get to play, too’.” I remember thinking I really ought to start taking the boys to some men’s games for some balance. Who knew?

When the basketball team travels, there is a big support team behind the players. “Dee Dee (Johnson Zawaydeh) takes care of all the travel arrangements, including the hotels. Aileen Reyes handles the marketing. I just stay focused on what the team needs in terms of practice times and facilities at the arenas. We all have to work together to make sure everything is covered, including media relations and special events with alumni groups. Sometimes there are speakers involved, and the coaching staff has to be plugged in to everything that is happening.

“It sounds complicated, but we have very good people, and we’ve all been through this many times before. It’s challenging, but it’s also a lot of fun.”