ROCHESTER HILLS >> If anyone needs to be excited about the new direction that Oakland University’s women’s basketball program is headed in, it’s the players.

So it’s a good sign then that new head coach Keisha Newell, who was formally introduced to media at a press conference Friday afternoon, got the stamp of approval from those who will suit up for her during her hiring process.

Along with junior guard Maddy Skorupski (Clarkston), teammates Madison Royal-Davis, Lianna Baxter, Leah Bullard and Jasmine Dupree-Hebert were all part of the interviewing process for candidates in determining who would succeed Jeff Tungate.

Deanna Richard served as interim head coach much of the past season for Tungate, who was forced to step away after multiple back surgeries in recent years left him unable to continue on in the position, which he held for 12 years (145-188 record). Richard also stepped in for Tungate when he was forced to miss the prior year due to a spinal procedure.

A national search began for Tungate’s successor in December.

“(Athletic director Steve Waterfield) was very open in letting us know what was going on,” Skorupski said. “There were a couple of us in that group that he picked to help get a sense of what the coaches were like, and it allowed us to ask questions as a team of what we were looking for and what we wanted in the future season, so it’s a big credit to Steve for putting that together.”

When it came to Newell, Skorupski said, “She seemed to really understand the basketball side, as well as developing us as people and students. She talked about what she did with her teams to bring that success (she’s had), so I think it was a good reception. The team likes her.”

Added freshman Jadyn Elam (Detroit Country Day), “I’m really excited to get work with her. (She has) very high energy and she seems like she’s willing to hold you accountable. She seems like she’s ready to get to work, and is a person that knows the balance of off the court and on the court, and that’s really important in this era.”

Newell takes the helm following a successful stint at Division II Lewis University (IL). In the last three seasons, she led the Flyers to three NCAA Tournament appearances, as well as a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference regular season titles and a GLVC Tournament title.

Her experience beyond that includes time at NAIA (now DII) program Roosevelt University, where she helped revitalize that program with 61 wins in four years after the Lakers had won just eight games prior to her takeover.

Newell is linked to the Horizon League both as a player and a coach. At Loyola Chicago, she was a three-year starter and team captain, amassing 957 career points and 371 assists. Following her graduation, she joined the Ramblers’ staff for four seasons (2010-14), including one as director of basketball operations and three as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.

Between her time at Roosevelt and Lewis, Newell was the head coach at Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, leading the program to a 41-23 record with regional championships in both seasons.

With success at all the aforementioned levels, the natural question becomes whether she can succeed at OU and a program that has had a winning conference record just three of 12 seasons since athletics made the jump from the Summit League to the Horizon League.

Early in Friday’s presser, Waterfield addressed that directly, saying, “Throughout the process, probably the easiest question I was asked was, ‘Can you win at Oakland in women’s basketball?’ And I said, ‘Absolutely. We already have.’ And I pointed out the great run of success in the Division II era, as well as the success they had in the early portion of the Division I era. So it can be done, and it will be done.”

The quest for Newell will be recreating the success of those years Waterfield referred to in the 2000s, including the program’s pair of appearances in the NCAA DI Tournament in 2002 and 2006. Oakland had a run of 10 winning seasons out of a dozen around that time.

“Success isn’t just about wins and losses, it’s about building a team that plays for each other, holds each other accountable, and it’s about a team that loves one another,” Newell said. “With that formula, we’re preparing this program to compete for championships. To the current team, I’m ready to go to war with you all. I hope you’re ready, too. I’m here to push you, challenge you, hold you accountable, and get the most out of you all. We’re going to work, compete, do it together, and I cannot wait to start building this program up with you all.”

When asked about the unrealized potential of the program, Newell said, “(I see) a lot. I mean, so many untapped things in terms of, like, what we bring physically from a basketball prospective, but also the ability to push them to another level, and to help them hold themselves and teammates accountable. I think that culture shift for them is untapped right now, and that’s half of the battle. Once we get there, I think the x’s and o’s can come pretty easily.”

Skorupski will one of the keys to immediate success for Oakland under Newell. She averaged 15.9 points and 2.8 steals (T-15th in DI) this past season.

“She’s a beast,” Newell said of the former Wolves all-stater, who began her college career at Michigan State. “She can do it all, obviously, on the offensive end, but I think where she goes underrated is on the defensive end. She led the team in steals and she was required to do a lot on both ends, so I think there’s untapped potential there where we can reach another level.”

Newell, whose recruiting efforts should be boosted by a state-of-the-art practice facility set to open in the coming months, is joined in her arrival by her husband and former Ball State standout, Anthony Newell, as well as their children, Addisyn and Kamryn.