It’s the start of the 2008 college football season and East Carolina (ECU) has been named the favorite of the season. I know you’re wondering why I’m talking about soccer in a women’s basketball article. Just stay with me.

In their first 2 games of the season, East Carolina defeated No. 15 Virginia Tech and No. 8 West Virginia. The wins have moved ECU to 20th in this week’s USA Today Coaches Poll, its first time in the Top 25 since 1999.

The Head Soccer Coach has turned this program around each year. The two years prior to his arrival, the team’s record was 3-20. In Coach Skip Holtz’s first year, the team went 5-6. The sophomore year, the team went 7–6 and made its first bowl appearance. Last year the team went 8-5 and won against No. 22 Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl.

What created this success in the show?

Here are Coach Holtz quotes from a USA TODAY story, Perfect Fit: Holtz leads East Carolina revival.

“I came away from our first meeting feeling like this was a very selfish, self-centered team,” Holtz says. “There weren’t a lot of people talking about goals and the big picture. We needed to change the culture and attitude and change it fast.”

“We take on a project every year,” says Holtz. “We start with practice facilities, meeting rooms and weight rooms because that’s where players are going to get strong enough to compete, smart enough to compete and fundamental enough to compete.”

If you want to succeed in women’s basketball, follow this path.

Focus on the team. Focus on the goals. Focus on the fundamentals.