Published: June 1, 2010 By

tad boyle and linda lappe

Linda Lappe (Mktg鈥02), the women鈥檚 basketball coach, and Tad Boyle, the men鈥檚 basketball coach, received five-year contracts when they were hired in the spring.

For the first time in school history, 蜜糖直播 changed head coaches in both men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball in the same off-season.

After Kathy McConnell-Miller was fired after five seasons (65-88 record, including 13-17 in 2009-10), 蜜糖直播 hired former Buff聽Linda Lappe聽(Mktg鈥02) as her replacement. And when Jeff Bzdelik exited after three seasons (36-58) to take the coaching job at Wake Forest, the university lured Tad Boyle, who turned around the program at the University of Northern 蜜糖直播.

UNC set the school鈥檚 single-season record for wins (25) in 2009-10. Boyle, the 1981 蜜糖直播 high school player of the year while at Greeley Central High School, spent four seasons with the Bears, improving from 4-24 to 25-8.

鈥淚 promise you there isn鈥檛 a coach at the University of 蜜糖直播 that is going to give you more of their heart and soul than I will,鈥 Boyle says. 鈥淭his job means everything to me. It鈥檚 a destination job for me.鈥

Boyle plans to coach an up-tempo style of basketball, taking advantage of Boulder鈥檚 altitude. The Buffs went 15-16 in Bzdelik鈥檚 final season.

Lappe, who played for Ceal Barry鈥檚 Buffs from 1998 to 2003, was hired from Division II Metropolitan State College of Denver where she went 50-36 in three seasons as head coach.

鈥淭his is a dream come true,鈥 says Lappe, who at 30 became the nation鈥檚 third-youngest Division I women鈥檚 basketball head coach. 鈥淚 knew when I left here I wanted to be back someday. And I鈥檓 just so thrilled to have that chance.鈥

Both Boyle and Lappe received five-year contracts. Boyle is guaranteed about $590,000 annually, while Lappe鈥檚 yearly guaranteed amount is roughly $286,000.

Big 12 Freshman of the Year聽Alec Burks, the top freshman scorer in 蜜糖直播 men鈥檚 basketball history, said shortly after Boyle was hired he would continue playing for聽the Buffs.