Jayme Callahan is a name that comes with great respect around Missouri Southern Basketball.

She holds the record for most career steals and most career starts for the Women’s team, both set in the same year as when she graduated from Southern in 2002. She was the apple of Southern Coach Maryann Mitt’s eye in her time, and commanded respect anytime she set foot on the floor.

She was also an item of ridicule when Webster came to town to play the Lions. Anyone who did not know who she was just simply took her as another coach that gave a crack a one of the best women’s basketball teams in the country.

The 5’6 former Southern Guard is now the head Coach of the Webster University women’s round-ball squad, and gets respect from her players.

Although it was the first time that Callahan had probably ever heard booing aimed at her from Southern fans that did not know her background, nothing seemed to phase her as she tried to motivate her team through a 86-36 defeat to Southern on November 28th.

“Anything negative put in my direction was easy to block out.” Callahan said “I’ll have the same idea about crowds anywhere I go.”

Longtime members of the Southern Program remember her well.

“She was very hard nosed, and took on a great deal of leadership” say Glen Kirk, announcer for Southern Basketball for over 10 years. “A real go to kid”.

The hard nosed mentality has not seemed to wear off at all, when Callahan got a technical foul for crossing the line to speak her mind with the referees to defend one of her own players.

While Southern Head Coach Maryann Mitts was lined up against her for the first time ever, she enjoyed the experience.

“It was really great to have her back,” said Mitts. “It brought back a lot of memories.”

Callahan’s words were equally kind about Couch Mitts and the Southern Program.

“(Coach Mitts) was my mentor for years,” Callahan said. “It was such a privilege to have my team come and play back at Southern. A sense of accomplishment I suppose.”