DePaul University Athletics
Ponsetto Grateful for Her Quintessential Coaching Staff
8/19/2020 5:00:00 PM | ATHLETICS
Blue Demons inspired by competitive, caring coaches with passion for success
CHICAGO – From the moment Jean Lenti Ponsetto first moved into the athletic director's office 18 years ago, the lifelong Blue Demon has always championed the coaching staff that worked alongside her.
Ponsetto will be the first to acknowledge that the numerous awards and accolades validating her long run of success including twice being named Athletic Director of the Year were a direct result of coaches devoting their lives training and developing young people into superb student-athletes and compassionate human beings.
The matriarch of DePaul Athletics who announced her retirement in June after 45 years as a student-athlete, coach and administrator is fond of saying the coaches do all the heavy lifting while people give her the credit.
In truth, nobody worked longer hours or sacrificed more than Ponsetto whose unabashed passion in life was her Blue Demons.
She knew every single one of those student-athletes by name and had a pretty good idea what made them tick. Like the grammar school teacher that always amazed you, "Jeanne" as she is known by all remembered the names and kept track of all her former Blue Demons.
It's no wonder Ponsetto was walking on sunshine after two of the most spectacular seasons in DePaul history.
At the end of former DePaul President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider's final year in 2016-17, Ponsetto and Father Dennis sat together at the Ballpark at Rosemont cheering on the Blue Demon softball team in the BIG EAST tournament title game.
Simultaneously, Ponsetto was getting minute-by-minute text updates from track and field administrator Doug Bakker at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships in New York.
Just seven minutes after the men's track and field team had clinched its first BIG EAST title, the softball team won the championship game and an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
Along with BIG EAST regular-season or tournament titles in women's soccer, men's indoor track and field, women's basketball and women's tennis, the Blue Demons set a school record for most conference titles in one season.
"It was fitting we were able to put together our most successful year in the BIG EAST and NCAAs along with another terrific year academically and in community service to send him off in style," Ponsetto recalled. "We wanted to express gratitude to Father Dennis for his unwavering commitment to our program.
"And we are grateful that DePaul President Dr. Gabriel Esteban has continued in that tradition with his steadfast support of our Athletics Department as you see him and his wife Jo cheering on our men's and women's basketball teams at Wintrust Arena."
Who can forget the improbable comeback year of 2018-19 when women's tennis, women's basketball and softball all staged furious late rallies to earn BIG EAST tournament titles.
Down 3-0 in the third set of her the match that would determine a conference champion, Alina Kuzmenkova rallied for a 6-3 win and a conference title at the BIG EAST Tennis Championships in Cayce, S.C. as DePaul downed Villanova 4-3.
Coach Doug Bruno's Blue Demons trailed regular-season champion Marquette practically the entire game before a remarkable rush in the final two minutes led to Chante Stonewall's game-winning, three-point play with five seconds left in a 74-73 victory at Wintrust Arena.
This plucky comeback class of 2019 saved the best for last. The softball team trailed Villanova 9-3 with just six outs to go in its BIG EAST tournament title game when the Ballpark at Rosemont was rocked by DePaul's eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, leading to an 11-10 win.
"I was so proud of the grit and determination of our student-athletes for the way they competed and executed their coaches' game plans," Ponsetto said. "Each of our coaching staffs did a wonderful job preparing our teams for those championship runs."
As you can imagine, Ponsetto has a treasure trove of lifetime memories during her time in Lincoln Park.
"There are so many memorable moments in more than 40 years---every team's NCAA tournament appearances highlighted by the men's basketball Final Four with legendary coach Meyer Ray, coach Joey Meyer's Sweet 16 appearances, coach Dave Leitao's team defeating Dayton in the 2004 NCAA tournament and our 2019 title-game run in the College Basketball Invitational to get our team back in the postseason.
"There was women's basketball's first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990 and every one since then---winning on the road at Penn State (2011), at Duke (2014) and at Louisville (2016) to make the Sweet 16. There were so many conference championship wins, but none more dramatic and exciting as the BIG EAST tournament championship games in 2019 and 2020.
"Softball had a multitude of conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances, none better than the incredible teams that made it to the Women's College World Series in 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2007. That is so hard to do for any program competing in the Midwest, but those teams has such incredible determination.
"Women's tennis came through with conference championships and NCAA appearances in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 along with an NCAA at-large berth in 2010. I'll always remember 2015 when they defeated Kentucky in the first round.
"Women's soccer had a thrilling penalty kick win in the Conference USA Championship in 2003 paving the way for men's and women's BIG EAST soccer championships and NCAA appearances. I was proud of the individual NCAA appearances by Jevgenji Cariov in the men's tennis NCAAs and Dave Dopek's NCAA indoor national championship in the 200 meters in 1995."
Ponsetto painstakingly laid the foundation for the Blue Demons' exemplary performances on and off the field by assembling a multi-talented group of coaches who take total ownership of DePaul's Vincentian mission while also genuinely and passionately advocating for excellence in academics and community service.
"We look for good people first and foremost who care about championing the academic, athletic and leadership skills of the young men and women given their care," Ponsetto said. "We look for coaches that have outstanding teaching and technical skills who recognize and understand learning styles and can motivate our student-athletes to maximize and compete above and beyond their potential.
"We look for coaches who love the profession, love the challenges of the BIG EAST Conference, embrace DePaul's mission and love representing DePaul, our alumni, students, faculty, staff and the city of Chicago.
"You can see their tremendous success in all the NCAA tournament appearances, conference championships, coach-of-the-year honors and the countless individual awards presented to our coaches and student-athletes. Equally as impressive are all the national accolades, conference awards and recognition in the academic arena as well as community service."
Like a prescient MLB general manager, Ponsetto artfully blended in distinctive personalities and leadership styles into a cohesive and caring unit that genuinely respects each individual coaching style.
"Our culture in Athletics centers on respecting the dignity of each person," Ponsetto said. "We teach that to our student-athletes and we all live it in our daily interactions with one another."
What has it been like working alongside such wonderfully compassionate, deeply loyal and exceptionally talented human beings who sacrifice time with their own families to help raise your Blue Demon family of student-athletes?
"Every day, I am amazed by the commitment our coaches make to teaching and educating our student-athletes---not just on the court, field, track or course but in the formation of who they are and who they will become spiritually as socially responsible leaders," Ponsetto said.
"I am not at all surprised by the incredible successes of our former letter winners in medicine, business, education, communication, technology, the arts and professional sports because our coaches care intensely and commit to the personal growth and development of the total person.
"Our student-athletes have been a real source of pride for all of us at DePaul. I feel like I am the lucky one with our coaches letting me have a front row seat to watch them teach and 'show our student-athletes the way to wisdom.'"
Ponsetto will be the first to acknowledge that the numerous awards and accolades validating her long run of success including twice being named Athletic Director of the Year were a direct result of coaches devoting their lives training and developing young people into superb student-athletes and compassionate human beings.
The matriarch of DePaul Athletics who announced her retirement in June after 45 years as a student-athlete, coach and administrator is fond of saying the coaches do all the heavy lifting while people give her the credit.
In truth, nobody worked longer hours or sacrificed more than Ponsetto whose unabashed passion in life was her Blue Demons.
She knew every single one of those student-athletes by name and had a pretty good idea what made them tick. Like the grammar school teacher that always amazed you, "Jeanne" as she is known by all remembered the names and kept track of all her former Blue Demons.
It's no wonder Ponsetto was walking on sunshine after two of the most spectacular seasons in DePaul history.
At the end of former DePaul President Rev. Dennis Holtschneider's final year in 2016-17, Ponsetto and Father Dennis sat together at the Ballpark at Rosemont cheering on the Blue Demon softball team in the BIG EAST tournament title game.
Simultaneously, Ponsetto was getting minute-by-minute text updates from track and field administrator Doug Bakker at the BIG EAST Outdoor Championships in New York.
Just seven minutes after the men's track and field team had clinched its first BIG EAST title, the softball team won the championship game and an automatic berth into the NCAA tournament.
Along with BIG EAST regular-season or tournament titles in women's soccer, men's indoor track and field, women's basketball and women's tennis, the Blue Demons set a school record for most conference titles in one season.
"It was fitting we were able to put together our most successful year in the BIG EAST and NCAAs along with another terrific year academically and in community service to send him off in style," Ponsetto recalled. "We wanted to express gratitude to Father Dennis for his unwavering commitment to our program.
"And we are grateful that DePaul President Dr. Gabriel Esteban has continued in that tradition with his steadfast support of our Athletics Department as you see him and his wife Jo cheering on our men's and women's basketball teams at Wintrust Arena."
Who can forget the improbable comeback year of 2018-19 when women's tennis, women's basketball and softball all staged furious late rallies to earn BIG EAST tournament titles.
Down 3-0 in the third set of her the match that would determine a conference champion, Alina Kuzmenkova rallied for a 6-3 win and a conference title at the BIG EAST Tennis Championships in Cayce, S.C. as DePaul downed Villanova 4-3.
Coach Doug Bruno's Blue Demons trailed regular-season champion Marquette practically the entire game before a remarkable rush in the final two minutes led to Chante Stonewall's game-winning, three-point play with five seconds left in a 74-73 victory at Wintrust Arena.
This plucky comeback class of 2019 saved the best for last. The softball team trailed Villanova 9-3 with just six outs to go in its BIG EAST tournament title game when the Ballpark at Rosemont was rocked by DePaul's eight runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, leading to an 11-10 win.
"I was so proud of the grit and determination of our student-athletes for the way they competed and executed their coaches' game plans," Ponsetto said. "Each of our coaching staffs did a wonderful job preparing our teams for those championship runs."
As you can imagine, Ponsetto has a treasure trove of lifetime memories during her time in Lincoln Park.
"There are so many memorable moments in more than 40 years---every team's NCAA tournament appearances highlighted by the men's basketball Final Four with legendary coach Meyer Ray, coach Joey Meyer's Sweet 16 appearances, coach Dave Leitao's team defeating Dayton in the 2004 NCAA tournament and our 2019 title-game run in the College Basketball Invitational to get our team back in the postseason.
"There was women's basketball's first NCAA tournament appearance in 1990 and every one since then---winning on the road at Penn State (2011), at Duke (2014) and at Louisville (2016) to make the Sweet 16. There were so many conference championship wins, but none more dramatic and exciting as the BIG EAST tournament championship games in 2019 and 2020.
"Softball had a multitude of conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances, none better than the incredible teams that made it to the Women's College World Series in 1999, 2000, 2005 and 2007. That is so hard to do for any program competing in the Midwest, but those teams has such incredible determination.
"Women's tennis came through with conference championships and NCAA appearances in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2019 along with an NCAA at-large berth in 2010. I'll always remember 2015 when they defeated Kentucky in the first round.
"Women's soccer had a thrilling penalty kick win in the Conference USA Championship in 2003 paving the way for men's and women's BIG EAST soccer championships and NCAA appearances. I was proud of the individual NCAA appearances by Jevgenji Cariov in the men's tennis NCAAs and Dave Dopek's NCAA indoor national championship in the 200 meters in 1995."
Ponsetto painstakingly laid the foundation for the Blue Demons' exemplary performances on and off the field by assembling a multi-talented group of coaches who take total ownership of DePaul's Vincentian mission while also genuinely and passionately advocating for excellence in academics and community service.
"We look for good people first and foremost who care about championing the academic, athletic and leadership skills of the young men and women given their care," Ponsetto said. "We look for coaches that have outstanding teaching and technical skills who recognize and understand learning styles and can motivate our student-athletes to maximize and compete above and beyond their potential.
"We look for coaches who love the profession, love the challenges of the BIG EAST Conference, embrace DePaul's mission and love representing DePaul, our alumni, students, faculty, staff and the city of Chicago.
"You can see their tremendous success in all the NCAA tournament appearances, conference championships, coach-of-the-year honors and the countless individual awards presented to our coaches and student-athletes. Equally as impressive are all the national accolades, conference awards and recognition in the academic arena as well as community service."
Like a prescient MLB general manager, Ponsetto artfully blended in distinctive personalities and leadership styles into a cohesive and caring unit that genuinely respects each individual coaching style.
"Our culture in Athletics centers on respecting the dignity of each person," Ponsetto said. "We teach that to our student-athletes and we all live it in our daily interactions with one another."
What has it been like working alongside such wonderfully compassionate, deeply loyal and exceptionally talented human beings who sacrifice time with their own families to help raise your Blue Demon family of student-athletes?
"Every day, I am amazed by the commitment our coaches make to teaching and educating our student-athletes---not just on the court, field, track or course but in the formation of who they are and who they will become spiritually as socially responsible leaders," Ponsetto said.
"I am not at all surprised by the incredible successes of our former letter winners in medicine, business, education, communication, technology, the arts and professional sports because our coaches care intensely and commit to the personal growth and development of the total person.
"Our student-athletes have been a real source of pride for all of us at DePaul. I feel like I am the lucky one with our coaches letting me have a front row seat to watch them teach and 'show our student-athletes the way to wisdom.'"
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