By: Chris Wielgus, Dartmouth Women's Basketball Legend 

How did you come to work at an Ivy League institution?

My idea of a good life involved having keys to a gym. So I studied Physical Education, got a high school teaching job and waited for a coaching vacancy to occur. Miraculously, during my first year teaching at Woodstock Union High School, such a vacancy occurred. Clearly, this plan of mine was meant to be! I was shocked when the Athletic Director hired his buddy, an elementary school teacher. I just couldn’t grasp how a less qualified guy got a job as a girls basketball coach. My husband Chuck knew I was hurt. He saw an advertisement in the local paper. Dartmouth was looking for a women’s basketball coach. He applied for me, had references sent for me and corresponded with the athletic department for me. Imagine my surprise when I got a call from Dartmouth. I thought it was a prank, until they scheduled me for an interview. I was stunned and amazed when I got the job! 

What comes to mind when you think about the Ivy League?

When I think of the Ivy League, I think of never ending bus rides, unpredictable adventures, fierce competition, lifetime camaraderie and very long meetings.

What athletic accomplishment are you most proud of?

I am most proud of how our teams competed in the NCAA tournament. We inevitably played the top seed. The game was on their court or a neutral court in their backyard. To add to the challenge, we were either in exams or had just finished exams, but we had no complaints or excuses. We were ready to dance. There is nothing more gratifying than playing David to a "big-time" Goliath. 

What off the court experience are you most proud of?

There are two things I have done with my life—coach and raise a family. Off the court, I am very proud of my boys and appreciative of all the people that helped me raise them. My children kept me from slipping into the abyss of silliness that is Division I basketball.

What is your most memorable experience from your time as an Ivy League coach?

Last January, I was given an honor by my alumnae and members of the Dartmouth community. During that weekend my two worlds of coaching and parenting collided. What an experience that was! It was so special and so much fun! I am so fortunate to have such a wonderful life.

How did the Ivy League experience compare to your expectation?

I began coaching at Dartmouth at the age of 24 in 1976. I had no expectation except hopefully getting a parking space behind the gym. That did not happen. I took the coaching job fully expecting to drive the van, practice in the middle of the night after the three men’s teams finished their practices and make the team sandwiches for the rest of my career. There was no way for me to predict the benefits that Title IX would have on women’s athletics. There was no blueprint for how to navigate the waters of women’s athletics. We took one step at a time and turned a deaf ear to all the many doomsayers. I am very proud that Dartmouth and the Ivy League were at the forefront of the growth of women’s sports.

How did the Ivy League evolve during your coaching career?

I have coached in the Ivy League in the 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and 2010s. I watched the transition from gestentor to Xerox, typewriter to computer, high socks to low socks, short shorts to long shorts, vans to buses to planes, gyms to arenas, two officials to three officials, a volunteer student assistant to two assistants and a director of basketball operations, one ball to a ball for men and a ball for women, from silence to newspaper to radio to television to online games, from one supervisor who coached to a plethora of supervisors who rarely coached, letters to emails to Twitter, from the AIAW to the NCAA, from no NCAA bid to an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament, from an Ivy League Tournament to round-robin play and back to an Ivy League Tournament.

What would you share with a prospect deciding on attending either an Ivy or a non-Ivy League school?

The difference between an Ivy League and non-Ivy athletic experience is the difference between being the consumer and being a commodity. In the Ivy League, the athletes are not beholden to the coach or the athletic department to finance their education. Non-Ivy League athletes are at the beck and call of their coaches and athletic departments. In the Ivy League, playing basketball is your passion and not your job.

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Chris Wielgus was the Dartmouth women's basketball coach from 1976-84 and 1993-2013. She is a member of the 2018 Class of Legends of Ivy League Basketball that will be formally honored during the 2018 Ivy League Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments on Saturday, March 10, at The Palestra in Philadelphia. Purchase tickets at IvyMadness.com. 

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Authentic Ivy is Ivy League student-athletes, coaches and alumni, in their own words. Stay tuned to IvyLeague.com for more Authentic Ivy features throughout the 2017-18 year.