Sue Guevara's life in retirement

She wore a white Central Michigan long-sleeve shirt, gold sweatpants and maroon shoes. Her medicine ball used to sit during media timeouts occupied a spot behind the bench. Her personalized "Coach G" clipboard and Yeti Tumbler weren't far away.

Déjà vu?

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Yeah, that was it.

Guevara grinned early on as she coached. Slowly but surely, she found her groove, demanding more from her team as the Oct. 27 alumni game continued during the Maroon and Gold Scrimmage at McGuirk Arena.

Vintage Guevara.

She was one of the last people to leave the court that day, an example that proves this is the same Guevara – the one that's loved and cherished by everyone involved in the women's basketball program.

But she's much different.

This Guevara – the one that coached the alumni team – is retired.

“It was a wonderful ride," Guevara said. "I’m ready to go a different speed.”

Time will eventually take its course, and everything will be normal without Guevara. Right now, the Guevara-less era remains a cloud of confusion, and it'll take time for people to adjust to life without her.

Yet change is real, and the show must go on whether it feels comfortable or not. It's the job of first-year head coach Heather Oesterle, a nine-year assistant under Guevara, to fully assume the position and build on the success of her predecessor.

Guevara has no regrets.

"It was the best decision I’ve made," she said.

It began with an 88-87 loss to No. 9 seed Michigan State in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament. 

Guevara was exhausted.

Just over a month later, on April 25, Guevara got on the recruiting trail. She spent time in Milwaukee with assistant coach Murriel Page and Pennsylvania with Oesterle. 

Then, Guevara went to Ireland for 10 days in May.

That's when everything started to change.

"I had such a good time discovering, seeing another part of the world and being free to travel," Guevara said. "I’ve never been able to do that before."

Guevara had rotator cuff surgery following her trip. During the rehabilitation stage, she took alone time to reflect on the future. 

After all, Guevara was getting ready to turn 65 years old on July 8, meaning over half her life – 39 years – had been spent with a basketball.

"What bothered me was I wasn’t itching to get back into the gym," Guevara said. "That’s never happened to me before."

Throughout her career, Guevara coined the term, "You can't cheat the grind." She wasn't ready to get back out on the court, and she wasn't ever going to be able to fully assert herself as the head coach, giving every ounce of passion, work ethic and commitment.

Rather than cheating the grind, Guevara put herself first, something she hadn't often done in the past, and made the choice to retire on her 65th birthday – July 8, 2019. 

It was publicly made known four days later.

Two of her players, current junior guards Micaela Kelly and Maddy Watters, were shocked.

"It was unexpected," Kelly said. "Obviously, things happen for a reason, so I look at it as a blessing in disguise, but I never lost hope or faith because she handed it down to a great person."

"It was tough, but I was excited to see how we handled Heather and everything," Watters said. "It was definitely tough in the moment but a learning experience and something that turned out to work really well."

During a summer basketball camp at Central Michigan, Oesterle was teaching the next generation of college players. Guevara was at her nephew's graduation.

As basketball practice was starting up for the women's basketball team, Guevara left the country for two weeks. She was in Spain from Sept. 27 to Oct. 7.

Guevara went to different parks in the Madrid area and checked out a handful of museums and architecture. She spent a day on the water and even went to see former Central Michigan forward Tinara Moore play professionally for Cadi La Seu.

Her former player, Shonda Long, got married on Oct. 11. Guevara was able to attend, when normally she wouldn't have been able to due to homecoming festivities and practice back in Mount Pleasant.

Guevara has four former players getting married in 2020. She won't miss a single one. 

Another former player, Stacey Thomas, is being inducted into the University of Michigan Hall of Honor on Nov. 15. Thomas attended Michigan and graduated in 2000 after playing for Guevara, and she was selected 23rd overall in the WNBA Draft by the Portland Fire. 

You better believe Guevara will be there.

If Guevara was the head coach, that wouldn't be possible, as the Chippewas play No. 9 Louisville on Nov. 14 before staying in Kentucky for a matchup against Western Kentucky on Nov. 17.

Guevara will probably make her way to Florida for 10-12 days in January or February and enjoy the weather while those in Michigan are suffering from snow and frigid temperatures.

She'll travel up north to do biking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.

"It’s those kinds of things," Guevara said of what makes her happy about retirement.

For the first time in 12 years, Central Michigan is no longer Guevara's team.

The program belongs to Oesterle.

Before Central Michigan's preseason scrimmage against the University of Michigan, Oesterle sent Guevara a text message. She expressed her nervousness.

"I'm glad you are; you're supposed to be," Guevara responded. "This is a scrimmage, and this is what you get to do. Trust your gut. You know what you're doing."

It wasn't the first time Oesterle reached out to Guevara, and it definitely won't be the last.

After all, Guevara considers Oesterle her second child. Meanwhile, Oesterle considers Guevara her second mother. 

But just like a mother to a child when she's finally on her own, Guevara doesn't pry – not even the slightest bit.

“I’m very sensitive to what I say and when I say it," Guevara said. "I only give my opinion when I’m asked. I don’t come to practice unless I’m asked."

Guevara, who still lives in Mount Pleasant, watches practice nearly every day, either from the bleachers or through her computer. Oesterle often invites her to help participate in practice events. 

When that is not the case, Guevara stays silent. 

"I know sometimes she feels like she comes around too much, but I told her, 'Coach, you're welcome anytime,'" Oesterle said. "We went for a walk together with some of our friends, and I just brainstormed some ideas I had been thinking about. She's all in, and she wants to help me and our program."

During the Guevara era, the longtime coach implemented a drill where there have to be 10 stops three times in a row. When that happens in a game, the team that gets those stops usually wins the contest.

Oesterle has kept the drill as a foundation point of her preparation.

It came up during a recent practice Guevara attended.

"You have eight," Guevara shouted down to assistant coach Courtney Shelton.

"OK, thanks," Shelton responded.

When Oesterle asks questions, like what Guevara saw during a certain practice, her mentor typically responds with a question.

What’s your strength right now?

What do you like? 

What do you want to fix? How should you fix it?

"It's not like, 'Oh, what the hell,'" Guevara said. "Nothing like that at all. I’m just grateful that she’s asking me. Heather is my second daughter, and I just want to do everything I can do to help her.”

Between Oesterle, Page, Shelton and new assistant Mark Simons, there needs to be a level of disagreement at times to spark a conversation.

Yet Oesterle is confident enough in her abilities that having Guevara around isn't ever a burden. Rather, it's a major bonus. 

Where some basketball programs pay for consultants or a special assistant to the head coach, Oesterle gets it for free. Guevara hasn't asked for a dime, and she'll never. 

That's not who she is, nor is it what the former coach wants in her retired life.

"When she comes in, I'm so excited to see her," Oesterle said. "It's like, 'Oh, I've missed you.' We get along really well, and she's a great mentor to me."

There's also the community aspect of Guevara's retired life. It's exemplified when she walks into Ric's Food Center and gets asked how she's doing while also being praised for her accomplishments as the head coach.

Guevara's response is simple and sweet.

"Thank you, I appreciate that," Guevara often says in return, "but now I’m going to be in the stands with you."