For Conley, the crux of the issue is on the floor. A Bullis grad who went on to play college basketball at North Carolina-Wilmington, Conley has known success on the hardwood wherever she’s gone. For the past two seasons, she’s been an assistant coach under head coach Patti Gilmore at Blake, which went to the Class 4A state championship game a year ago.
But upon succeeding Jim Mogge as the Blazers head coach this summer, Conley knew immediately that she had her work cut out for her. Blair has not been successful of late, winning just 17 out of its last 70 games. A year ago, it went just 3-20.
More than anything else, when she began meeting with the girls prior to summer-league play, Conley wanted to change the culture surrounding the Blair girls basketball team. She isn’t expecting the wins to just pile up right away. But she eventually wants them to, and the first order of business is to get her players believing.
‘‘Unfortunately, I think the girls’ spirits have been broken with so many losses in the past few seasons,” Conley said. ‘‘My goal as a coach this season is to inspire a new appreciation for basketball, commitment, and hard work within the program at Blair.”
For Francis, the situation is 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Unlike Conley, the team she’s inheriting has been extremely successful of late. Last year, they led the Division 4A East with 17 regular-season wins, and won 20 overall, before bowing out of the playoffs in the 4A North Region final to Blake. They’ve been to even greener pastures, too, like when they went all the way to the state semifinals in 2005, before losing to eventual champion Eleanor Roosevelt of Prince George’s County.
But Kearney didn’t take over as the fourth head coach in four years because of results. She took over because the head coach from a year ago, Oliver Riggs Jr., had double-bypass surgery the Friday before basketball tryouts. The long-time field hockey head coach at Springbrook, Francis officially took over as interim coach. However, as she puts it: ‘‘I am prepared to stay all season, if need be.”
While the Blue Devils may indeed be good again, it’s hard for Francis to determine how good, because she is still getting acclimated with them since taking over a couple weeks ago.
‘‘It’s tough to tell so early,” she said. ‘‘And since I was not that familiar with last year’s team, it’s difficult to answer questions comparing this year to last year. So far, these girls have shown me a willingness to work hard and a desire to be competitive.”
For the two new head coaches, the biggest difference may be their plans for the future. Though Francis says she’s been nothing but excited since taking over the program, she could be stepping aside if Riggs is able to come back healthy and revitalized. As of now, she wants to simply keep Springbrook on the same path that it’s been on. Meanwhile, Conley intends to be in it for the long haul, until Blair is respected around the county again.
‘‘My hopes definitely when I came to this school, knowing their record last year, was to turn it around,” Conley said. ‘‘It’s a challenge and I’m going to take it on. Hopefully, someday sooner than later, this will be the start of girls taking notice and choosing us over other schools in the [Downcounty] Consortium.”
