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BENTON — Brodie Garber knew down deep that at the end of his coaching career, he’d be back leading a girls basketball team.
He wasn’t sure when or where, but he just knew.
The answer came earlier this year, when Garber left his position as the boys basketball coach at Fairfield to take the job as the head girls coach of the Falcons.
Garber was the head boys coach at Fairfield for two years, posting a record of 29-16 including 16-6 last season. He also served as an assistant under Derek Hinen for the 2023-24 season, when the Falcons went to the Class 3A semistate.
While he wasn’t unhappy as the boys coach, Garber jumped at the opportunity to return to coaching the Fairfield girls, after Kyle Hartman resigned to take over as head coach at Warsaw.
“I think going back to coaching girls is something I thought would happen at some point,’’ Garber admitted. “I was planning to stay with the boys program after last season, but deep down, I always knew I wanted to get back to to the girls side.
“When Kyle took the Warsaw position, things kind of fell into my lap. It’s a school I’m teaching at and I’m very happy here. It happened a little quicker than I thought ... but the stars just aligned.’’
So when the Falcons open the season in early November, Garber will be coaching his first girls game since leading the Falcons to the 2022-23 Class 3A state title.
That team, led by Garber’s daughter Brea – who won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award after the title game – beat Corydon Central 49-42 to claim the title with a 28-2 record.
“A lot of people have asked about coaching girls as compared to guys, but to me, basketball is basketball,’’ Garber said. “Sure there are some differences, but to me, it’s still coaching athletes.
“I’m not the guy that is going to be bringing up the title team ... that was four years ago. Yes there are still great memories, but none of our players now were a part of that. We’ll be young, with only one senior on the team.’’
After the graduation of Eva Herbert and Macy Worthman – the last two remaining players from the state title team – Madison Jones will be the team’s lone senior. Jones, who was a member of The Truth’s All-Area team a year ago, has already scored over 1,000 points in her career.
“We have a couple girls with experience but we also lost a probable starter to a torn ACL in the off-season,’’ Garber said. “But when you think of the experience Eva and Macy had and the fact that Eva had the ball in her hands a lot, there will be some girls that will really have to step-up this year.’’
Like many girls coaches in the area, state and nation, Garber is working with fewer players than he has in the past, as the number of girls playing basketball has dipped throughout the US.
This is much different from the Falcons’ state title team which featured multi-sport athletes like Brea Garber, Herbert, Bailey Willard, Morgan Gawthrop and Delana Geiger playing major minutes for Fairfield.
“Our numbers aren’t great, but that’s the way it is at a lot of area schools ... the numbers are just down,’’ Garber said. “We have numbers at the junior high, so the long term is good. It’s tough when you have to recruit from your own school to get players.
“Delana Geiger went to Taylor and decided to play rugby. When the coach contacted me about her playing the sport, I told him honestly that she’d been playing rugby for four years here because of how tough and physical she played basketball. It just came natural to her. That’s the way things were.’’
When asked what he will bring to his new/old position after three years with the boys’ program, Garber had a quick answer.
“I’ve always been a defensive head coach,’’ Garber said. “But I believe I’ve picked some things up on the offensive side with the x’s and o’s. “Working with (FHS boys assistant coach) Drew Beachy was really great. You give him a white board and a marker and he’s just a wizard.’’
Continue reading...
He wasn’t sure when or where, but he just knew.
The answer came earlier this year, when Garber left his position as the boys basketball coach at Fairfield to take the job as the head girls coach of the Falcons.
Garber was the head boys coach at Fairfield for two years, posting a record of 29-16 including 16-6 last season. He also served as an assistant under Derek Hinen for the 2023-24 season, when the Falcons went to the Class 3A semistate.
While he wasn’t unhappy as the boys coach, Garber jumped at the opportunity to return to coaching the Fairfield girls, after Kyle Hartman resigned to take over as head coach at Warsaw.
“I think going back to coaching girls is something I thought would happen at some point,’’ Garber admitted. “I was planning to stay with the boys program after last season, but deep down, I always knew I wanted to get back to to the girls side.
“When Kyle took the Warsaw position, things kind of fell into my lap. It’s a school I’m teaching at and I’m very happy here. It happened a little quicker than I thought ... but the stars just aligned.’’
So when the Falcons open the season in early November, Garber will be coaching his first girls game since leading the Falcons to the 2022-23 Class 3A state title.
That team, led by Garber’s daughter Brea – who won the IHSAA Mental Attitude Award after the title game – beat Corydon Central 49-42 to claim the title with a 28-2 record.
“A lot of people have asked about coaching girls as compared to guys, but to me, basketball is basketball,’’ Garber said. “Sure there are some differences, but to me, it’s still coaching athletes.
“I’m not the guy that is going to be bringing up the title team ... that was four years ago. Yes there are still great memories, but none of our players now were a part of that. We’ll be young, with only one senior on the team.’’
After the graduation of Eva Herbert and Macy Worthman – the last two remaining players from the state title team – Madison Jones will be the team’s lone senior. Jones, who was a member of The Truth’s All-Area team a year ago, has already scored over 1,000 points in her career.
“We have a couple girls with experience but we also lost a probable starter to a torn ACL in the off-season,’’ Garber said. “But when you think of the experience Eva and Macy had and the fact that Eva had the ball in her hands a lot, there will be some girls that will really have to step-up this year.’’
Like many girls coaches in the area, state and nation, Garber is working with fewer players than he has in the past, as the number of girls playing basketball has dipped throughout the US.
This is much different from the Falcons’ state title team which featured multi-sport athletes like Brea Garber, Herbert, Bailey Willard, Morgan Gawthrop and Delana Geiger playing major minutes for Fairfield.
“Our numbers aren’t great, but that’s the way it is at a lot of area schools ... the numbers are just down,’’ Garber said. “We have numbers at the junior high, so the long term is good. It’s tough when you have to recruit from your own school to get players.
“Delana Geiger went to Taylor and decided to play rugby. When the coach contacted me about her playing the sport, I told him honestly that she’d been playing rugby for four years here because of how tough and physical she played basketball. It just came natural to her. That’s the way things were.’’
When asked what he will bring to his new/old position after three years with the boys’ program, Garber had a quick answer.
“I’ve always been a defensive head coach,’’ Garber said. “But I believe I’ve picked some things up on the offensive side with the x’s and o’s. “Working with (FHS boys assistant coach) Drew Beachy was really great. You give him a white board and a marker and he’s just a wizard.’’
Continue reading...
