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Havana is looking for a new girls basketball coach.
Michelle Brady announced her resignation as the Ducks head coach on social media Monday, ending a decorated nine-year tenure at the Mason County school, located 45 miles southwest of Peoria. She went 185-85 (.685) in her tenure with no losing seasons and a 2023 Class 1A Elite Eight appearance.
"This decision has not come easily," Brady wrote in a lengthy letter to Havana athletics director Carly Taylor. "It is one I've spent a great deal of time reflecting on because of how much I love coaching and how deeply I care for this program, the players, and the community we've built together."
Brady says her "heart is being pulled in another direction," and wants to spend more time with her family, especially daughter, Josie Hughes, a senior who will begin her college basketball career this fall.
Background: Big wins. State ranking. This little school won't stay under the radar for long
Brady's 2023 team went 32-5, losing to eventual Class 1A state champion Okawville in the supersectional. It was the program's first sectional championship since a 2015 Class 2A Elite Eight berth.
Havana, a school of 285 students, was a mainstay in the Class 1A state rankings during that 2023 run.
“We don’t need a lot of attention,” Brady told the Journal Star in 2023. “We kind of sneak in there under the radar.”
She coached Havana to six seasons with 20-plus wins including 99 victories over the last four seasons. Prior to becoming the head coach, Brady spent 11 seasons on the Havana bench under Jerry Wilson, who won 379 games in 16 years.
2025 Journal Star all-area teams: Meet the top 15 Peoria-area girls basketball players
This past season Havana finished with a 22-11 record, winning a regional title before losing to Abingdon-Avon in the sectional semifinals. Unanimous first-team all-Prairieland Conference selection Hughes will graduate, while all-league players in junior Kaydi Miller (first team) and freshman Ava Kramer (second team) are expected to return.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA girls basketball: Havana coach Michelle Brady resigns after nine seasons
Continue reading...
Michelle Brady announced her resignation as the Ducks head coach on social media Monday, ending a decorated nine-year tenure at the Mason County school, located 45 miles southwest of Peoria. She went 185-85 (.685) in her tenure with no losing seasons and a 2023 Class 1A Elite Eight appearance.
"This decision has not come easily," Brady wrote in a lengthy letter to Havana athletics director Carly Taylor. "It is one I've spent a great deal of time reflecting on because of how much I love coaching and how deeply I care for this program, the players, and the community we've built together."
Brady says her "heart is being pulled in another direction," and wants to spend more time with her family, especially daughter, Josie Hughes, a senior who will begin her college basketball career this fall.
Background: Big wins. State ranking. This little school won't stay under the radar for long
Brady's 2023 team went 32-5, losing to eventual Class 1A state champion Okawville in the supersectional. It was the program's first sectional championship since a 2015 Class 2A Elite Eight berth.
Havana, a school of 285 students, was a mainstay in the Class 1A state rankings during that 2023 run.
“We don’t need a lot of attention,” Brady told the Journal Star in 2023. “We kind of sneak in there under the radar.”
She coached Havana to six seasons with 20-plus wins including 99 victories over the last four seasons. Prior to becoming the head coach, Brady spent 11 seasons on the Havana bench under Jerry Wilson, who won 379 games in 16 years.
2025 Journal Star all-area teams: Meet the top 15 Peoria-area girls basketball players
This past season Havana finished with a 22-11 record, winning a regional title before losing to Abingdon-Avon in the sectional semifinals. Unanimous first-team all-Prairieland Conference selection Hughes will graduate, while all-league players in junior Kaydi Miller (first team) and freshman Ava Kramer (second team) are expected to return.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA girls basketball: Havana coach Michelle Brady resigns after nine seasons
Continue reading...
