Woman to coach boys' basketball team Shawnee High School names new coach

A woman is set to take over the head coaching duties for the boys' varsity basketball team at a Union County high school.

LaDonna Bachman will be coaching the boys' team at Shawnee High School at Wolf Lake. Bachman formerly served as head coach of the girls' team at the school.

"The board understands that I understand the game of basketball," Bachman said.

Bachman said she had wanted the boys' head coaching assignment for the last couple of years.

"I applied this year and I got it," she said.

Bachman replaces Tim Ellis, who recently resigned from the position.

"Some of the kids came to me and asked if I would be interested in coaching them," Bachman said.

Bachman has been a physical education teacher at Shawnee High School for the last 12 years.

She served as head coach of Shawnee's girls' basketball team during the 2000 through 2005 seasons.

"We didn't have a bad season toward the end of my coaching," Bachman said. "The freshmen and sophomores in the program when they became upperclassmen were starting to win some games."

Bachman said practice doesn't officially begin for the boys until Monday, Nov. 7.

She does know who returns for the Redskins from watching them play last season. The returners include Aiden McMahan, Gage Shelton, Gavyn Ellet, Andrew Livesay, Austin Treece and Gary and Brandon Pind.

"This is a new beginning," Bachman said. "The past is the past. We plan on putting forth the effort and fill our stands with players."

Bachman said she received support from Shawnee High School principal Mike Hanson, who was athletics director part of the time she coached the girls' team.

Current Shawnee girls' basketball coach and athletics director Chad Pitts said  the team is still looking for an assistant boys'  basketball coach for the upcoming season.

Jim Woodward, president of the Illinois High School Association's board of directors, said that a woman serving as head coach of a boys' team is a rarity, but it does happen.

Woodward is superintendent at Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.