Girls Basketball: Shepard job goes to Rubino
By Tony Baranek tbaranek@southtownstar.com June 18, 2012 8:42PM
Updated: July 20, 2012 6:17AM
New Shepard athletic director Curry Gallagher is quite sure that his first major decision is a solid one. In fact ...
“It was the easiest decision I think I’ll ever make as an AD,” he said Monday after announcing that former Lincoln-Way East and DePaul University standout Jenna Rubino is the new girls basketball head coach.
Rubino, who for the past two seasons was a varsity assistant at Lincoln-Way East, will have as her assistant former Mother McAuley head coach Karen Ade.
“I’m excited. Anxious,” Rubino said. “Living the dream. This is what I set out to do.”
Rubino replaces Rick Mundo, who resigned after a 7-18 season in 2011-12.
In 2003, Rubino was a member of the first graduating class at Lincoln-Way East and was the Player of the Year in both the Daily Southtown and Star newspapers. She earned a scholarship to DePaul, where in four years she played in 96 games, scoring in double figures 45 times.
Rubino was the seventh pick in the 2007 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky. She played in a handful of exhibition games before being cut before the start of the regular season. She went on to be a top player in a professional league in Italy and competed in the Euro Cup.
After her basketball career ended as a player, Rubino joined the DePaul staff as the assistant director of basektball operations. In 2010, she returned to her alma mater as an assitant to Lincoln-Way East coach Jim Martin.
“Jim Martin was really helpful for me and insightful,” Rubino said. “He is an awesome offensive-minded coach, so I think just him switching up plays and incorporating offenses relative to his players’ strengths was a huge learning point for me as well. From every angle I’ve learned a ton from Jim.
“I guess it’s a little bittersweet (leaving East), just because I was comfortable over there. And yet, this is a new chapter, a new phase in my life that I’m really looking forward to.”
