OCHS hires girls basketball coach

A new adventure is in place for Oconee County girls basketball. Katie David has taken over as head coach of the program.

David brings a variety of experience to the Warriors. She played collegiately at Piedmont College, where she earned NCCAA All-American recognition in 2003. She remained with the Lions after her playing career where she spent a year as an assistant coach. 

From there, David moved to Arizona, Colorado then back to Georgia. She raked in 11 years of coaching at the high school level before temporarily left the field in 2015 to become a stay-at-home mother.

“I never saw myself going back into teaching and coaching,” David said. “When this job arose, I really thought okay, you know, maybe my heart is tugging at that and that's something that I do desire.”

During the time she spent away from coaching, David stayed connected to basketball, working on skills training with five of the state’s top coaches. She’s worked with the Oconee County feeder program, youth coaching clinics and club basketball.

Her desire for a new challenge led her to Oconee County.

“I think there was an inner craving that I didn't even know was there until it starts to kind of get peeled back,” David said. “And then you're like, oh, yeah, this was something I was really passionate about. And that passion clearly hasn't gone away.”

David takes over for Philip Manning, who spent four seasons as head coach of the Warrior girls basketball team.

A change at the helm means that spending time together as a team is essential when learning about each other and how the player-coach relationships will be played out.

Those relationships between each other is top priority as Oconee County begins putting together pieces of the puzzle.

“I think getting to know these girls and building those relationships with them, and then tackling a challenge together, I think is an absolutely beautiful thing,” David said. “Overcoming adversity and sitting in conflict together and coming out on the other side of that just makes you really strong, and it's exciting to be a part of that again.”

Throughout her time coaching basketball, David has learned what it takes to become successful on the court as well as off it. Her vast journey has prepared her to lead girls through different approaches of the game. 

No matter any player’s background, David hopes to step in as a leader for the Warriors and create a transformational relationship, not just a transactional one.

“I want them to understand their self worth,” David said. “I want them to be responsible, determined young women that when they leave here, they've had some experiences to model that for them so that they become lifelong learners, upstanding citizens in their own communities and have the confidence to do it the way they want to do it.”