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Big changes have recently been made in the women’s basketball department as new head coach Amanda Davied is taking center court to replace former head coach Lane Lord. After being an assistant coach since 2004, Davied is taking over the reins and is thrilled to be moving into her new role.
“It’s a little surreal,” she said. “Coach High and then coach Lord allowed me to be involved in all facets of the team from day to day, so nothing is really blowing my mind, but it’s just a surreal feeling making all the decisions. We have camp next week so I’m just really excited.”
Prior to her 14-year tenure as a full time assistant coach, Davied received her undergraduate degree in physical education through Pittsburg State while playing on the team. While coaching, she also received her master’s in physical education. Having already been with the team for so long, she is looking forward to continuing her work with the team from last year as well as the incoming freshmen.
“I’m most looking forward to the team,” Davied said. “The incoming players and the returning freshmen. We have a pretty big group returning and a lot of new good players coming in. I’m excited to be a good leader for them and get confident in what’s to come this next year.”
Davied spread the news to her players as quickly as she could through a mixture of phone calls and meeting some of the more local players in person or making sure to catch up with them in passing. The team is just as excited as Davied is to get the year started with their new coach.
“I’m definitely excited,” senior shooting guard Shelby Lopez said. “I’m confident in all her abilities and what she’s going to do with the program. It’s going to be a nice position because she’s been here so long and transitioned through all of the motions. Most of our players know her very well and we have the utmost confidence in her.”
As far as potential difficulties down the road, given her experience Davied is confident in her abilities to face any difficulties head on.
“We haven’t had any problems so far, but I’m sure there will be,” Davied said. “Things come up all the time that you have to make decisions about quickly. There will be a lot of questions coming my way. It’ll all be coming full speed, but I’m ready for a change and a challenge and I’m excited about my new role. I think the recruiting is going to be really important. As long as we have good people and good players, that winning culture will continue. Recruiting is always a challenge but I think we have a great product at Pitt State that we will be able to recruit high quality people and players.”
The players are also ready to face any challenges that arise, standing side by side with their coach.
“This year’s going to have its challenges,” Lopez said. “But it’s going to be exciting to be a part of a new basketball era at Pitt State. I think it will be a good one. I’m excited for the change and excited for the challenge as well.”
As far as what the future holds, Davied says that it’s hard to predict but that the campus and community can still expect to see the same team they have come to know so well.
“They can still expect a strong presence of the women’s basketball program in the community,” Davied said. “We’re not going to change everything. I think they should feel comfortable that the program’s going to remain the same. It was going the path that both of us wanted to so I’m not sure that people should be expecting a lot of changes. We will still be a strong force in the classrooms, the community, on the floor. We’re trying to keep this ship sailing exactly as it was before.”
