Lady Titans Announce New Basketball Coach
Jacqueline Lutz
After multiple announcements and confusion among players and parents, the girl’s basketball head coach for the 2019-2020 season has been finalized.
The previous head coach, Lisa Willis, announced her departure just days after the conclusion of the 2018-2019 school year.
Under Willis, the LadyTitans had an overall record of 19-6-0 and a league record of 8-0-0. According to MaxPreps, they were ranked 970th nationally, 18th in the state, and 4th in their state division during the 2018-2019 season.
Over the summer, T.C. Williams Athletic Director, James Parker, searched for a new head coach as workouts were halted and the program came to a standstill. On September 10, Shawn Wright was announced as the girl’s basketball coach.
However, a few days later, on September 20, Wright announced his resignation through his personal Twitter account, saying, “I first want to thank T.C. Williams for the opportunity to become the head coach of the girl’s program but [there was] an opportunity with my job that I could not pass up. I can not give the time that warrants to run the program. I want to wish the Lady Titans and parent[s] the best.”
The search then continued, and another head coach announcement soon followed on September 26, declaring Marcus McKinney as head coach for the 2019-2020 season. Vandy Pullen, a junior varsity coach who coach under Kesha Walton, will return to coach the junior varsity team this year.
McKinney has been coaching both girls and boys basketball for about twenty years, including for AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) basketball programs and for Wakefield High School, Edison High School, and Bullis School.
The past three years, the program has been coached by three different coaches- Kesha Walton, Lisa Willis, and now Marcus McKinney. McKinney is planning to bring stability to the program.
“One of the things I’m planning on doing is making sure that I’m here for years to stay,” said McKinney.
McKinney also has expectations for his players, for both on and off the court.
“The expectation is to perform in the classroom because I believe that what you do in the classroom carries over to the court,” said McKinney. “A lot of times if you are not performing in the classroom, then you are probably going to be doing the same things on the basketball court.”
Another vital expectation he has for his players is “understanding that they represent themselves, their school, myself, and their parents.”
Tryouts for the team are scheduled for November 11, 12 and 13 from four to six pm in The Garden.
T.C. is set to play its first non-conference game at home on December 3 against Langley High School.
