Coupeville Sports

The face Brittany Black (right) shows her friends.

And the face she used to show foes on the basketball court.

You do not want to call out the assistant coaches this season.

With David and Amy King taking the reigns full-time for the Coupeville High School girls’ basketball program, they have brought in three volunteer coaches with them. Coaches with sterling resumes as players. Coaches with plenty of state tourney experience who know a thing or two about big-game heroics.

Coaches who can still take the ball to the hole and beat your smack-talkin’ rear, if need be.

Former Wolf stars (that should probably read superstars…) Brittany Black and Ashley Ellsworth-Bagby and former Woodland baller Ashley Kellison are not going to be the type of assistants who merely roll the ball on the court and then take a seat. How better to help shape a new generation of players than by having still relevant former players pass on the skills that took them to a higher level?

“I am stoked on this opportunity and can’t wait to help bring back the detailed, disciplined, “old-school Wolves” style of Coupeville girls’ basketball,” Black said.

Black and big sister Lexie were a potent force for Coupeville, leading the Wolves to the top of the Cascade Conference, before both went on to play college ball at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Now, after living in Santa Cruz, CA, the 2006 CHS grad is back on The Rock and raring to go.

While attending softball games with her dad Tom last spring, she bantered with the Kings. Eventually one thing led to another.

“We would talk about how great it would be to have BOTH of them back in the gym, and when I got word David had been hired, I was stoked!,” Black said. “I showed up to a couple open gyms he hosted during the summer, and he asked if I wanted to help out! I didn’t hesitate at the opportunity to be back in the gym, working with one of my favorite coaches, and giving back to the sport I love so much.

“When I found out Amy was hired too, it was the icing on the cake!,” she added. “Since then it’s been great talking ball with them and the Ashley’s, listening to their vision for this season and getting excited for practice to start!”

Once try-outs begin this Monday, she’ll be keeping stats on the players abilities and attitudes during practice. After that, she expects to get in a little 1-on-1 work with players. With each of the three volunteer coaches having played a different position during their days on the hard court, they each have something different to offer.

“I’ll probably be helping the girls around the 3-4, power forward spot, working on skills necessary for that position, within the Kings‘ system,” Black said.