The East Jackson Lady Eagles basketball program has a new head coach.
She is Katie David, former assistant coach at Gainesville High School. She fills the vacancy created when former coach Amy Larimer left for Walnut Grove following the 2009-2010 school year. Larimer had served in that capacity since the school opened in 2007.
David, according to EJCHS Athletic Director Johnny Tucker, came highly recommended.
David started attended South Forsyth High School in Cumming, where she played basketball. She attended Piedmont College in Demorest, where she played all four years, then served as an assistant coach for the Lady Lions for a year.
In 2005, David moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she served first as an assistant coach, then as a head coach at an area high school.
“My father was a high school football coach, and he retired from Georgia (to Arizona), and that’s how I ended up out there,” David said.
She moved back to Georgia last summer and worked as an assistant coach under coach Manson Hill.
“I wanted to look for a head coaching job, and Manson helped me,” David said. “He was constantly trying to see what was out there, and East Jackson became available. I happen to live in Jackson County so it worked out.”
David said her experience at East Jackson, so far, has “been great.”
“I’ve been with the girls every day,” she said. “The feedback from the parents and the support has been great. The kids are eager. Anytime there’s change, there’s a little bit of apprehension at first by the athletes because they don’t know what to expect. It doesn’t take long to get in there and dive in. We’ve just been having a good time, and we’re trying to grow and get better.”
“The girls’ attitudes have been tremendous so far,” she added. “The parents have been great. The administration has been real supportive. It’s been a ‘what do you need’ situation, but there haven’t been a lot of needs. The facilities are great. You can’t ask for much more.”
She said the team’s goal for the season is to win double-digit games.
“We have Elbert in our region now, Hart in our region, Jackson County in our region,” she said. “They’re all going to be solid. You still have to contend with Jefferson and North Oconee. If we want to make an impact now, if we want to make some changes, you have to get in the gym.”
David said she is trying to lead by example. She was married earlier this summer, but cancelled her honeymoon so she could spend every day with her team.
“I’m supposed to be in London for 10 days, and I didn’t go because it’s that important to me.”
For more on this story, see Wednesday's edition of The Commerce News or The Jackson Herald.
