Penders Relieved To Be Back In D.C. Former Texas Coach Working His Magic At George Washington

No one ever said that Tom Penders couldn’t coach.

Penders has been called lazy, too hands-off and not disciplined enough, but does that matter when you win? The former Rhode Island coach has bounced from Tufts to Columbia to Fordham to URI and Texas, and won big at every stop. Now he’s turning the trick at George Washington.

The Colonials take on Xavier today for control of the Atlantic 10 West and Penders has his team poised for another NCAA Tournament berth. He’s coached in the Big Dance in eight of the last 11 seasons.

Penders is thrilled with his new job. He lives in suburban Potomac, is healthy after heart trouble last season, and regards working in Washington as a homecoming.

“My wife (Susie) said after we got here that this is a better basketball job for me than Texas,” Penders said. “I’m closer to my roots here. I’m seeing people who I haven’t seen for a long, long time.”

Even so, Penders and Texas seemed like a perfect marriage. He’s the most successful coach ever at the school, and he loved Austin. However, the love affair ended last March in an ugly hate triangle among the coaches, players and administration. The bosses won out, with Penders resigning and several players leaving in disgust. It left a sour taste in Penders’s mouth, particularly toward Athletic Director DeLoss Dodds.

“I really liked it down there, but I just had a problem with one person, the old A.D.,” Penders said.

Penders inherited a fine GW team and appears to have made it better. His opencourt, run-and-shoot style is perfect for 5-foot-3 point guard Shawnta Rogers. Rogers leads the A-10 in scoring and sparks a Colonial offense that averages a league-high 80 points per game.