Robyn Fralick 'so grateful' to see her journey come 'full circle' as new Michigan State women's coach

East Lansing, Mich. – Prior to Robyn Fralick’s introductory press conference as Michigan State’s new women’s basketball coach on Tuesday, Fralick, her husband, and their two young children strolled through the Hall of History at Breslin Center. 

They looked at the photos, the trophies, the videos.

At some point, Coach Fralick stopped her husband, Tim, and said “We have to stop acting like tourists.” 

She’s not a tourist. She is the new woman in charge of one of the flagship programs of the Michigan State athletic department. 

A native of nearby Okemos, she knows her way around the Breslin Center.

“I remember growing up here and playing at halftime of the basketball games,” she said. “I remember Melting Moments ice cream sandwiches. I used to get them when I was a little kid here.

“So for this to come full circle is truly amazing.”

Fralick was 88-73 in rebuilding the Bowling Green program from a 9-21 record in 2018-19 to 31-7 this year. 

Prior to her five seasons at Bowling Green, she was an astonishing 104-3 in three years as head coach at Division II Ashland (Ohio) University, with one National Championship and one national runner-up.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Fralick listed what she calls the “traveling core values” of her program, and the plans for the next 90 days.

Athletic Director Alan Haller revealed that one of the final things he did in researching Fralick’s candidacy to succeed Suzy Merchant, who retired after 16 years on the job in March, was scout one of Fralick’s games, live at Bowling Green, on March 29. Without Fralick’s knowledge.

“Most of you know I have a law enforcement background, so I wanted to be under cover,” Haller said. “But when I tried to put my outfit together I realized that most of my closet is green and white, or something that had a Spartan logo on it.”

Haller and Michigan State Deputy Athletic Director Epiphany Clark wore all black and headed down to Bowling Green.

“We go down there. We sat at the top of the arena,” Haller said. “We talked to the people around us and what was clearly evident, Robyn, is that community looooooves you. They love the women’s basketball program at Bowling Green.”

Earlier in the coaching search process, Haller interviewed Michigan State’s current women’s basketball players and asked them what traits they would like to have a new head coach. Haller held that template up to what he was seeing from Fralick’s team on March 29.

Haller turned to the players, seated in the first two rows of Tuesday’s press conference, and told them: “I started checking off your list. They were uptempo. They played fast. They were aggressive. They played good defense. They were organized.

“Then I watched your coach, Robyn. She never sat down. She had controlled energy the entire game. 

“So Epiphany and I left that game and we were pretty convinced Robyn was going to be our next coach.”

After hearing that story, Fralick said: “I’m really glad we won that game.”

Bowling Green beat Florida 69-52 in the WNIT quarterfinals on that night.

“I had no idea they were there,” Fralick said.

But she likes what their presence meant.

“I know how serious they were about it,” Fralick said. “They took it seriously. I think it mattered to them not who you are on a resumé or who you are on a reference but to see it live.”

Haller and Clark witnessed some of the coaching philosophies that Fralick honed while learning under former Ashland head coach Sue Ramsey.

“She took me in as a young assistant for seven years and taught me two very important things: to take care of people and to take care of details,” Fralick said. 

Fralick was an assistant for Ramsey’s teams which went 33-2 and finished as Division II national runner-up in 2012, and went 37-1 and won the National Championship in 2013.

Ramsey coached two more years at Ashland, going 18-9 and 25-9 before Fralick took over and went 31-2, 37-0 and 36-1.

‘MANNERS MATTER’ FOR NEW MICHIGAN STATE COACH

Fralick said the traveling core values which built the programs at Ashland and Bowling Green will come with her to East Lansing where she intends to build upon the tradition of women’s basketball at Michigan State. 

“We will do it together through our five core values: being a great teammate; manners matter, which ultimately means operating out of gratitude; trust; toughness; and commitment,” Fralick said. “What I found over time is those values really transform people and they transform teams. 

“I think core values can be a trendy word and they can be flat, they can be on a wall. But in our program they are alive and they are what we talk about and they are how we hold ourselves accountable. They are the standards of behavior that we hold ourselves to – players and staff – every day.”

Fralick took time to thank the people who helped her along the way, the people who were instrumental in the search and the endorsement of her hiring: Haller, Clark, Michigan State President Teresa Woodruff, Associate Athletic Director/Sports Administration Julee Burgess, Deputy Athletic Director/Championship Resources Ashton Henderson and Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo.

Haller credited Burgess and Clark with leading the search. 

“I was very fortunate to have experts in the women’s basketball community in our athletic department,” Haller said. “They helped guide this search. They did all the work. I basically showed up for the interviews.”

Late in the process, after Izzo’s men’s season was over, Haller turned to the resident basketball Hall of Famer.

“I gave Coach Izzo a homework assignment,” Haller said. “I said, ‘Hey, whatever you need to do, through your sources, go find out what you can find out.’ And he turned that homework assignment in and he gave me the thumbs up and he said it’s all good.”

Haller knew he had his coach.

“Robyn Fralick checked all the boxes, and then some,” Haller said. 

Earlier in the process, Haller spoke with some of the top women’s coaches across the country, “some of the have won National Championships recently.” Those experts impressed upon him the importance of community and administrative support.

“We’ve got that and we will continue to have that,” Haller said on Tuesday. 

Haller turned to Fralick and said, “You have an athletic director and an administrative staff that is willing to do what is needed to be successful. You have that.” 

Fralick seems humbled and empowered by the assignment. 

“I would like to thank Coach Suzy Merchant for all the time and energy that she has poured into the program, and all the other coaches that came before her – Coach (Mikki) Baile, Coach (Dominic) Marino, Coach (Karen) Langeland and Coach (Joanne) McCallie who paved the way to the tradition of the program,” she said.

“East Lansing and the Michigan State University community mean so much to me and my family. We have been cheering our hearts out for Sparty for a long time.”

Fralick told a story about the night her Bowling Green team beat Memphis in the WNIT Sweet 16. She went looking for family members for hugs and celebration.

“Well, lo and behold, I found them crowded around the television, watching men’s Sparty basketball in the Sweet 16 duke it out with Kansas State,” Fralick said. “Clearly we know where their priorities are.”

And now, so are Fralick’s.

“We will work hard to build on the tradition of Michigan State women’s basketball,” she said. “The tradition of the program is incredibly motivating. 

“We will play team basketball and use the sport of basketball as a transformative experience for our student-athletes. When you invest fully into the team – fully, fully into the team – your entire experience changes. We are going to really value that.”

‘THRILLED FOR THE OPPORTUNITY’ AT MICHIGAN STATE

A part of her heart is still in Bowling Green. Having put so much into that program, with those players, it’s impossible to tear away with no feelings. 

“The team I coached at BG, I loved deeply,” Fralick said. “It’s really hard to leave those kids but I’m thrilled for the team here and thrilled for the opportunity here.”

The timing is impeccable. She is taking over a program that had severe challenges due to Merchant’s mid-season health problems which caused her to step away from the team and eventually announce her retirement. But it’s a program that is not in bad shape. A complete rebuild is not needed. Fralick can grab the baton and accelerate.

Her hiring comes after an historic basketball weekend which saw America turned onto women’s college basketball like never before. 

“It’s so energizing,” Fralick said. “I mean I’m watching the Final Four and the level, the competitiveness, the eyes on it – as it should be, because it’s incredibly high level basketball – it’s energizing, it’s motivating. At Michigan State, we’re part of that. We’re a national team and I’m excited for the challenge.

“We will invest deeply into the community. I cannot wait to see the students and community come together to pack Breslin. We need you in the stands. 

“Women’s basketball is as good as it’s ever been and playing in front of an engaged crowd really matters.”

Fralick has only had brief meetings with her new players. 

“We had a quick time (on Sunday) and a quick time today but I’m am excited about moving forward with them in the future and building relationships one-on-one,” she said. “I have had experience with what the first 90 days looks like and the most important piece you can build into is the people time.

“I am really looking forward to building relationships, chasing excellence. And we will stay in pursuit together day by day.”

What message did she have for her team during Tuesday’s brief meeting? 

“That I’m so grateful and honored to be here and I’m excited to be their coach,” she said. “And I’m excited for our journey and our story together. But the biggest thing was: I’m so grateful.”