Tonya Willett , Ridgeway coach ends run

story from CommercialAppeal.com

Friday was a "bittersweet" day at Ridgeway, as girls basketball coach Tonya Willett broke the news to her team that she was leaving coaching after six years at the school.

"I know that (principal) Mr. (Jim) Long is going to put someone awesome in my place," she said. "I told them to just stay where they are ... I'm always going to be for Ridgeway basketball.

"I've been around basketball since I was 12 years old and it was definitely a hard decision. I feel like I've done a great service to basketball and I'm looking forward to doing great things in the future."

Willett, who is planning to concentrate on teaching with an eye toward eventually going into school administration, went 20-9 this past season and leaves with a career mark of 122-51. Long said a search for a new coach would begin immediately and that the school hoped to have one in place in time for the beginning of summer workouts.

While there was lots of success on the court, Willett is also very proud of her track record of sending a high percentage of her seniors on to college, from juco to Division 1. She said she learned that from her days as a player at Northside under Donald Holmes.

"If you played under coach Holmes and you had the academics and some type of athletic ability, he'd find a school for you," she said. "I've always been keen on getting girls into school."