All it took was eight words — ‘That will be the new head coach’s decision’ — to throw the lives of three Syracuse women’s basketball assistant coaches into uncertainty.

That’s how Syracuse Director of Athletics Jake Crouthamel responded when asked whether SU assistant coaches Darren Bennett, Pam Bowden and Jennifer Bednerak will remain with the program after head coach Marianna Freeman’s resignation on Tuesday.

Bennett just completed his third season with the Orangewomen, while Bednerak and Bowden have each been with SU for one year.

This season was likely their last at Syracuse.

“When a head coach leaves,” Bennett said, “the assistants are at the will of the program.”

More accurately, the assistant is at the mercy of the program’s chosen replacement.

“For the most part,” St. John’s head coach Kim Barnes said, “new coaches will bring their staff with them.”

Bennett, Bednerak and Bowden reside in a sort of career limbo. Depending on whom Crouthamel hires, the assistants will either be granted job security or a moving van.

Chances favor a new coach bringing in different assistants. But sometimes, a newly hired coach’s assistants remain at their old post because of family or career reasons. In that case, the incoming coach may retain the school’s assistants.

There’s also the possibility that SU’s new coach could have ties to its current assistants.

“It depends on who you know,” Bennett said. “One of us that is already here may be great friends with whoever the new coach is. We may be in a great position and may not even know it. You can open up every filing cabinet and come up with something different about assistants staying or going on a different route.”

The ambiguity the assistants face would be erased, of course, if one of them were named head coach. But that seems like a remote possibility after Crouthamel said Wednesday he wants someone with five years head-coaching experience.

“That right there, I would imagine, doesn’t put me in the picture,“ Bennett said. “But stranger things have happened. I’d love to be a head coach here. But right now, it’s something I’d say is pretty far-fetched.”

Bennett said he has not discussed his future with Crouthamel.

If Bennett leaves, he’s confident he’ll resurface elsewhere.

“From being out on the road and from having a lot of friends in the business, you just know that there’s almost 20 head-coaching jobs that are already open,” Bennett said. “They also have three assistants, so now you’re talking 60 more jobs. That’s a pretty good number to put yourself into. I know I’ll pop up somewhere.”

But Bennett would prefer to stay with the Orangewomen.

“I think the future’s bright for women’s basketball, and I’d love to be a part of that,” Bennett said. “But at the same time, you have to wait and see who the next head coach is, what decisions he or she makes as far as staying or going.

“A lot of great things are going to happen next year. It’s just too bad that all of us will not be around to enjoy it together.”

Published on March 20, 2003 at 12:00 pm