Former Iowa women's star Jaime Printy Brandt has been hired as Liberty's first girls' varsity basketball coach, principal Scott Kibby announced Monday via Twitter.
Brandt, who lives in Iowa City, spent the past three seasons at Linn-Mar coaching her alma mater. In her tenure, the Lions went 48-26, finished third in the 2016 Class 4A state tournament and fell one game short of state berths in 2015 and 2017.
"For me it’s a perfect fit," Kibby said. "She's in town, and she's a former Hawkeye and played for Lisa Bluder. She knows the game inside and out, backward and forward.
"But it's even more of a fit for me because she's really good with kids, got a wonderful temperament. So I'm excited about that. She'll be an amazing role model for kids — not just high school kids, but elementary kids in the community."
Kibby said he had three finalists for the job: Brandt, an area assistant and a Class 2A/3A head coach in eastern Iowa.
Brandt was an honorable mention All-American and the Big Ten freshman of the year as a Hawkeye. She currently sits fourth on the school's all-time scoring list at 1,841 points. She led Iowa to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-13.
She was a routine all-state selection at Linn-Mar. She tallied 1,391 points there.
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Linn-Mar's head coach and former Iowa standout Jaime Brandt instructs her team against Iowa City West during the first half of play in Iowa City on Friday, January 16, 2015. (Justin Torner/Freelance for the Press-Citizen) (Photo: Justin Torner/Special for the Press-Citizen)
"She's only been a head coach for three years but she's done it at 4A school, and she played Big Ten basketball," Kibby said. "There's not a lot of people with that resume."
Brandt joins what's beginning to look like an all-star inaugural athletic coaching roster at Liberty. So far, Regina's Stu Ordman will coach boys' basketball; Iowa City West's Randy Dolson will coach volleyball; former West coach Jeff Kelley will coach softball; West pitching coach Tom Cronk will coach baseball; City High assistant Josh Hildebrand will coach boys' cross country; Tonya McDonough, who won state championships at Marion and Bennett-Durant, will coach girls' cross country; and Brown Deer Golf Course professionals Brian Wernimont and Sean McCarty will coach the girls' and boys' golf teams, respectively.
West Delaware activities director and assistant principal Mike Morrison will begin as Liberty's activities director in early July.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...-hawkeyes-basketball-coach-liberty/312841001/
Brandt, who lives in Iowa City, spent the past three seasons at Linn-Mar coaching her alma mater. In her tenure, the Lions went 48-26, finished third in the 2016 Class 4A state tournament and fell one game short of state berths in 2015 and 2017.
"For me it’s a perfect fit," Kibby said. "She's in town, and she's a former Hawkeye and played for Lisa Bluder. She knows the game inside and out, backward and forward.
"But it's even more of a fit for me because she's really good with kids, got a wonderful temperament. So I'm excited about that. She'll be an amazing role model for kids — not just high school kids, but elementary kids in the community."
Kibby said he had three finalists for the job: Brandt, an area assistant and a Class 2A/3A head coach in eastern Iowa.
Brandt was an honorable mention All-American and the Big Ten freshman of the year as a Hawkeye. She currently sits fourth on the school's all-time scoring list at 1,841 points. She led Iowa to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 2010-13.
She was a routine all-state selection at Linn-Mar. She tallied 1,391 points there.
Linn-Mar's head coach and former Iowa standout Jaime Brandt instructs her team against Iowa City West during the first half of play in Iowa City on Friday, January 16, 2015. (Justin Torner/Freelance for the Press-Citizen) (Photo: Justin Torner/Special for the Press-Citizen)
"She's only been a head coach for three years but she's done it at 4A school, and she played Big Ten basketball," Kibby said. "There's not a lot of people with that resume."
Brandt joins what's beginning to look like an all-star inaugural athletic coaching roster at Liberty. So far, Regina's Stu Ordman will coach boys' basketball; Iowa City West's Randy Dolson will coach volleyball; former West coach Jeff Kelley will coach softball; West pitching coach Tom Cronk will coach baseball; City High assistant Josh Hildebrand will coach boys' cross country; Tonya McDonough, who won state championships at Marion and Bennett-Durant, will coach girls' cross country; and Brown Deer Golf Course professionals Brian Wernimont and Sean McCarty will coach the girls' and boys' golf teams, respectively.
West Delaware activities director and assistant principal Mike Morrison will begin as Liberty's activities director in early July.
http://www.press-citizen.com/story/...-hawkeyes-basketball-coach-liberty/312841001/
