After a rocky season that ended with a 5-26 overall record, head coach Cindy Stein will try to reignite the Salukis as she prepares them for the upcoming season, her 17th as a head coach after several stints in her long career.

Stein’s first head coaching job was in 1995 at Division II Emporia State University. The Hornets were 12-14 in her first year but she turned the program around and finished at 33-1 in her third and final season, placing as the national runner-up. Stein then went on to the University of Missouri where she led the Tigers to seven total postseason appearances in 13 seasons: four in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament and three in the Women’s NCAA tournament. Stein spent last season at Illinois Central College where she led the Cougars to a 32-4 record and a third place finish in National Junior College Athletic Association Division II. So far, she has had five players move on to the WNBA.

After playing basketball at Illinois Central College from 1979-1981, she moved on to play at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she graduated in 1983 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education. Stein earned her master’s in physical education from Central Michigan University.

Stein said coaching is a 24-hour job and this summer is no exception. She said she will have coaches on the road recruiting for the summer as well as on campus to make sure that their players are successful. Stein said her players must be able to balance schoolwork as well as work on their game.

“We’re very demanding of their time but yet making sure they have other time,” Stein said. “We do want them to experience college.”

Stein said success in her mind is not only about her team’s final record, it’s about what goes into changing the record. She said her players have to get to a point where they won’t give up.

“It’s going to be more of a mentality, a swagger, that the kids have,” Stein said.

Stein’s change to a new team and a new community won’t be an unfamiliar adjustment for her this summer.

She said one thing she’s noticed about Carbondale is that the community wants to be involved and support the program.

“The community has been awesome, they embrace you,” Stein said.

The summer may, however, be an adjustment for her players because they have to get used to a new coach calling the plays.

Guards Cartaesha Macklin, a sophomore from Mayo, Fla., and Rishonda Napier, a freshman from Burbank, Calif., said Stein is teaching them about details, toughness and the fundamentals.

“We’re paying a lot more attention to detail,” Napier said.

Associate head coach Andrea Gorski, who played at Bradley while Stein was an assistant there, said she always knew she could be an assistant for Stein because Stein preaches toughness to her players.

Gorski said it’s key for players to know what their potential is and to take it one game at a time.

Macklin said Stein has taught the team what they need to do in order to succeed.

“She has brought the technique and fundamental skills,” Macklin said. “She’s bringing her knowledge about the game.”