Former Hays assistant Jamie Coy will take over as the new girls head basketball coach at Lehman High. Coy coached the Lady Rebel junior varsity last season. (Photo by Judy Cooper)
by JASON GORDON
Less than a month ago, Hays grabbed someone off the Lehman coaching staff to lead its girls basketball team.
It didn’t take the Lady Lobos long to return the favor.
Hays assistant coach Jamie Coy was selected as Lehman’s new head girls basketball coach after Danny Preuss left the position to take over at Hays for recently-retired Donny McDonald.
Coy was the junior varsity basketball coach at Hays.
“We think Jamie will do an excellent job for us,” Lehman athletic director Steve Davis said. “We loved the enthusiasm and energy she showed during the interview process, and I think that will carry right over to our girls basketball team.”
Coy has been in the Hays CISD her entire nine-year career. She first coached at Dahlstrom Middle School before moving to Hays High.
Coy beat out nearly 20 other coaches who applied for the job at Lehman.
“When I got the call it gave me a real feeling of accomplishment,” Coy said. “I had mixed emotions – both excitement and fear. It will be tough to leave behind my friends on staff and the students at Hays, but I know there will be great opportunities at Lehman.”
Coy, who said she likes to run a fast-paced offense and a pressing man-to-man defense, said she has lofty goals for a Lehman program that’s only advanced to the playoffs once during five years as a varsity squad.
“I want to be the best at what I do,” Coy said. “My goal will be to coach the girls to rise above and beyond their expectations.”
Former longtime Hays head coach McDonald said he feels Coy will do a solid job at Lehman.
“Her goal always was to be a head coach, so I’m very happy for her,” McDonald said. “She definitely works hard and knows the game. I think she’ll do a good job over there.”
Hays all-state performer and current Texas Tech player Lindie Kimbro, who played for Coy at Dahlstrom, agrees.
“I really enjoyed playing for Coach Coy,” Kimbro said. “She was always enthusiastic and had a positive attitude. I’m very excited for her and I think she’ll do a great job.”
Coy said the fact she’s going to be the new head coach at Lehman started to sink in during the early morning hours.
“I was lying in bed at 3 a.m. and questions like how exactly I want to run my program started going through my head,” Coy said. “I think that’s when I finally realized I’m a head coach.”
