Before Oklahoma's Final Four trips, All-America players and national television appearances, coach Sherri Coale won two state basketball titles at nearby Norman High.

Before Don Flanagan's New Mexico women's basketball program packed the 18,000-plus seats in The Pit, he lost just 13 games — in 16 years — at nearby Eldorado High.

Rick Insell did it all at Shelbyville Central High — winning state and national titles and driving the team bus — before coaching at nearby Middle Tennessee State.

They are among the handful of coaches who saw an incredible challenge ahead and took a leap of faith, jumping directly from coaching high school teams to Division I women's basketball.

First-year Hawai'i coach Dana Takahara-Dias made the same leap, spending a decade at Moanalua as a coach and athletic director, then spending the past few years coaching the Team Aloha all-star team and working as a deputy director in city government. Aside from several seasons as the Rainbow Wahine's administrative assistant from 1995 to 1999, some wondered about her lack of college experience.

Though they lacked the experience, coaches like Coale, Flanagan, Insell and Marist's Brian Giorgis transformed their programs by not just winning conference titles and ascending the national rankings, but altering the prevailing attitudes and culture. The transformations may not have been immediate, but their message is it can be done.

"Patience, patience, patience, one day at a time with fanatical attention to detail," said Coale, who has taken the Sooners to 10 NCAA Tournaments and two Final Fours. "Never lose the big vision and don't handicap yourself with timelines.

"It takes as long as it takes. It can happen."

FROM GROUND UP

Coale and Flanagan took over programs in need of a turnaround. Coale began at ground zero with no information on recruits. Flanagan came into a program that won 13 games in four years and where the community didn't care.

"It was so bad that I thought it wouldn't take that much to make it a lot better," said Flanagan, whose program has been to the postseason every year since 1998.

The biggest transition wasn't basketball or coaching. Regardless of the level, defense is defense, offense is offense, and Xs and Os aren't much different.

The unknown universe was off the court. There's a million-plus dollar budget, overseeing a staff of assistant coaches, director of operations, managers and video coordinator, recruiting, academics, and the public relations aspect.

"There are steep learning curves at all junctures, but not as steep as at the beginning," said Coale, who was 5-22 in her first year.

She wanted to know how to recruit and set up her office, so she visited then-Kansas men's coach Roy Williams because she thought it was a first-class program and "ran the things the way they're supposed to be run."

"What most coaches will find is that the people who do it right will find time to help others to do it," said Coale, who felt she had a foundation by her third year.

Flanagan's advice was to find assistants who are supportive, trustworthy and able to identify recruits and get them to the university. He took a gamble on a few youthful players and it paid off.

Coale had to go away from Oklahoma to find recruits, but as the wins came, it created a domino effect on recruiting. Insell returned to the same gyms for summer club tournaments, except he was sitting on the other side as a recruiter.

Takahara's assistants are Da Houl, Serenda Valdez and Patrick Knapp. Houl and Valdez were Rainbow Wahine assistants from 1992 to 2004. Knapp has 26 years of head coaching experience.

TAKING ADVANTAGE

Two days after Chris Massaro was hired as Middle Tennessee State's athletic director, he hired high school coach Insell to lead its women's basketball program. Both came under fire and critics felt the program was too established for a high school coach. Insell said Massaro had an open mind and he has since taken the Blue Raiders to the postseason in all four of his seasons.

"If she (Takahara) opens the door, like I told a lot of high school coaches, you better hope we make it," said Insell, who led nearby Shelbyville Central High to 10 state titles, two national titles and 775 wins in 28 years. "It's going to open a different pool of people up for ADs to choose from."

As the wins came at New Mexico, everybody got behind the Lobos. Fans have flowed into The Pit and the Lobos have ranked in the top 10 nationally in attendance since 1999.

"That's probably the most important thing you can have as a coach, have somebody that's your boss supports, believes in you and your program, and is willing to support it financially and marketing wise," Flanagan said.

Takahara's supporters come from all levels. Athletic director Jim Donovan wanted her to bring the team together before even considering the Western Athletic Conference Tournament. He was at last Tuesday's season-opening win at UC Riverside.

Her mentors include former boss and Honolulu mayor Mufi Hannemann because coaching is about leadership and motivation, Takahara said. Vince Goo, who coached the Rainbow Wahine for 17 seasons, is a frequent visitor at practices. And somehow, 1,093 fans turned out for UH's exhibition opener against Hawai'i Pacific. There haven't been that many eyes on the Rainbow Wahine in years.

"When she got the job, I just told her to be herself," Goo said. "If she is herself, then I know she'll end up doing a good job. Her philosophies that she has for basketball, coaching, life in general, those things are passed on to players."

BUILDING A PROGRAM

Takahara inherits a program full of players reeling after an 8-23 season that culminated with the firing of coach Jim Bolla over allegations he kicked a player. Former players complained of verbal abuse and Bolla later sued the university for the dismissal.

Building trust will be crucial not just for winning, but for the foundation of a new beginning. Takahara, who won two league titles and made five state tournament appearances at Moanalua, spent the summer reassuring families their daughters would be cared for, then took the Rainbow Wahine out for team-building activities. She believes success will come easier if you treat everyone like family.

"The fact that I lack college experience doesn't mean that I'll make or break as a coach," Takahara said. "I purposely have surrounded myself with great assistants that have the experience and have been there. Coaching is just a small aspect of this program."

The bigger aspect is leadership "in making and building a strong foundation for a program," Takahara said. "With my past experience as an administrator and working in city government, hopefully I've learned some of those skills that can translate into an athletic arena."