Morgan Hardies

ATLANTA–As a varsity member of the Hillman girls basketball team, Morgan Hardies always saw Atlanta as one of her team’s biggest rivals.

Now the former Tiger will be leading the Huskies from the sidelines this season.

Hardies will take over the Atlanta girls varsity program and assume her first varsity coaching role in the process. Despite no previous experience coaching basketball, Hardies said it’s a role she’s ready to take on.

“Even though I am a bit nervous about being a new coach to a varsity level team, I am very excited to push myself outside of my comfort zone and into something that I have always wanted to do,” Hardies said. “Thankfully, I have a hard working group of girls that are up for the difficult task that we have ahead of us.”

Hardies played for Hillman from 2009-13, including three seasons on varsity under coach John Kuzewski. Consequently in that span, Hillman never lost to Atlanta. While she’s still supportive of her alma mater, Hardies said she’s enjoyed being at Atlanta since she began teaching there last year.

She takes Atlanta’s program over from Jeremy Kobielus, who led Atlanta for the last three seasons, beginning in 2017.

“It has been a little weird coming from Hillman to Atlanta. I enjoy the small school atmosphere and all of my students and athletes have been very supportive and welcoming. I feel like it is going to be a bit weird to go to Hillman and play,” Hardies said. “I still support Hillman athletics being the school I grew up in but I definitely feel a strong connection to Atlanta the longer I am here.”

Hardies spent three seasons coaching Hillman’s JV volleyball team, but she has always had a passion for basketball. When the Atlanta coaching job came open this year, Hardies took a chance to live out a dream of being a head basketball coach.

“When the opportunity came up this year for this position, I was nervous about coaching, especially as a varsity coach for my first time. I have always dreamed of one day coaching basketball,” Hardies said. “Even though in my dream I never imagined it being at a school that I once reviled back when I played basketball, I am very excited for this opportunity.”

Hardies’ task of leading the Huskies will undoubtedly be a challenging one. Atlanta has been a program of frequent coaching turnover for most of the last decade. Hardies will be at least the sixth coach Atlanta has had since the 2010-11 season and one coach–Melony Haskin–has coached Atlanta twice in that span.

Victories have been hard to come by as well. Atlanta went 3-17 last season and 5-14 two seasons ago.

Hardies and former teammate Katelyn (Kenyon) Tucker know that success won’t come automatically and they’re focused this season on building the team from the ground up. That means working repetitively on fundamentals and establishing a base knowledge to build on. With just seven players, Hardies and Tucker are also focused on team growth and having their players be dedicated to hard work and learning, both as individuals, and as a team.

Atlanta lost to Fairview 15-8 in Hardies’ varsity debut on Tuesday, but she said it was a good learning experience for her team.

“Without being dedicated to yourself, your teammates and your school we will not be able to get far this season. That is also why growth is so important. We have to be able to grow together and as a team. Without growth and determination and hard work, our team of six won’t be able to show our competitors that we mean business,” Hardies said. “I am hopeful and determined myself that Atlanta girls athletics will turn their mindset around and we are here to fight back.”