Theresa Grentz

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In 1973, Grentz was named to the team representing the US at the 1973 World University Games competition in Moscow, Soviet Union. It was the eighth such competition, but the first one in which the USA competed in women's basketball. The USA team had to play the Soviet Union in the opening round, and lost to the hosts, 92–43. The USA team bounced back and won their next two games. After preliminary play, the teams moved into medal rounds, where the first round loss carried over. In the medal round, the USA won their next three games, including a match against 6–0 Cuba, which the USA won 59–44. That sent them to the gold medal game, but against the host Soviet Union, now 7–0. The USSR won to capture the gold medal, while the USA finished with a silver in their first competition.

College coaching career

After graduating from Immaculata in 1974, Grentz began teaching sixth grade at an elementary school, while working as a part-time assistant coach at Saint Joseph's College (now University) in Philadelphia. The women's basketball program at Saint Joseph's had only begun play in 1973. Grentz later became head coach and compiled a 27–5 record in two seasons from 1974 to 1976, including an appearance in the 1976 AIAW Large College Regionals.

From 1976 to 1995, Grentz was head coach at Rutgers University–New Brunswick, where she became the first full-time women's basketball head coach in the U.S. In her first six seasons, Rutgers qualified for the AIAW Tournament every season and won the 1982 AIAW national championship.

In the 1980s, Rutgers moved from the AIAW to NCAA Division I, starting as an independent, non-conference member in 1981–82 before joining the Atlantic 10 Conference in 1983. The 1985–86 Rutgers team finished a perfect 16–0 in Atlantic 10 play and made the first of two consecutive Elite Eight appearances; The Star-Ledger awarded Grentz its Coach of the Year honor in women's basketball that season. Grentz's most successful season at Rutgers was in 1986–87 with a 30-3 record, Atlantic 10 regular season and conference titles, and Elite Eight appearance. That season, she won the Converse National Coach of the Year award from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). She was also named the March of Dimes Coach of the Year in 1990–91 and the Metropolitan Women's Basketball Association Coach of the Year in 1992–93.

In the Atlantic 10, Grentz led Rutgers to eight regular season conference titles in 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1993, and 1994 and four conference tournament titles in 1986, 1987, 1993, and 1994. Rutgers also appeared in nine straight NCAA Tournaments from 1986 to 1994, including Elite Eight appearances in 1986 and 1987. The Atlantic 10 named Grentz the Coach of the Year in women's basketball in 1987, 1988 (shared), 1993, and 1994. In 19 seasons as Rutgers head coach, Grentz had a cumulative 434–150 record. At Rutgers, Grentz developed three All-American players: Kris Kirchner, June Olkowski, and Sue Wicks. Also, Wicks won National Player of the Year honors in 1987 and 1988 and was the sixth overall pick in the 1997 WNBA draft.

In 1995, Grentz was hired as head basketball coach by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. After going 13–15 in her debut season, Grentz led Illinois to a 24–8 record, no. 13 final national ranking, and Sweet 16 appearance in the 1997 NCAA tournament. Then in 1997–98, Illinois had a second straight trip to the Sweet 16 in a 20–10 season with a no. 14 final ranking. These were the first of seven consecutive postseason appearances; Illinois would later make the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Tournaments, the 2001 and 2002 Women's National Invitation Tournaments, and 2003 NCAA tournament.

Illinois fell to 10–18 in 2003–04, the worst season in Grentz's tenure, before improving with three consecutive winning seasons and WNIT appearances from 2005 to 2007. In the 2005 WNBA draft, Illinois forward Angelina Williams became the highest drafted Illinois player; she would be part of the 2006 Detroit Shock WNBA championship team.

Grentz resigned from Illinois on April 17, 2007. In her final season, she won the Carol Eckman Award from the WBCA. In 12 seasons, Grentz compiled a record of 210-156, the 1996–97 Big Ten Conference regular season title, five NCAA Tournament appearances, and five WNIT appearances.

In the 2014–15 season, Grentz was an assistant coach at Lafayette College under Dianne Nolan on a 14–17 team. After Nolan retired, on April 20, 2015, Lafayette College announced Theresa Grentz as their new head women’s basketball coach. Grentz went 10–51 in two seasons at Lafayette before being fired in April 2017.

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