Huerta Named Southern Valley Boys Basketball Coach
Evan Jones- Apr 19
- 2 min read
On Monday, April 14th, Southern Valley announced that Ashley Huerta would be taking over as the Head Boys Basketball Coach for the Eagles. She has been an assistant for the Girls Basketball Program in recent years. Of course, she is a Southern Valley alum playing for Southern Valley under Mike Lanham from 1997-2001. She also played at Hastings College and was on championship winning teams on 2002 and 2003.
Huerta is excited about the opportunity to be the Head Coach for the Boys. "I'm extremely excited to have gotten this position. My staff and I are already getting our plans in place so we're ready to hit the ground running on day one."
She told us how her playing days and also being an assistant coach have prepared her. "I was fortunate to play on some very successful teams and with some extremely talented players during my playing years. They were all extremely hard workers, put the team first, and took pride in the process. And competitive? You bet. We competed every day like it was game day and that was a big part of why we were so successful. That's what I want my team to embody: a competitive attitude, selfless hard work and the desire to do whatever it takes to win. If you do those things on a consistent basis, wins and losses will eventually take care of themselves. The last three years as an assistant were a great learning experience for me. To be honest, the athletes I got to work with are what made me want to keep coaching. I'm very grateful to (Girls Coach Richard) McDonald and (Girls Assistant Coach Justin) Adams for bringing me on board and letting me stay around. I probably learned more about the mental side of coaching than anything over those years. "
She also looks forward to providing a mental edge for the squad too. "I got certified as a mental performance coach largely so I knew how best to help these young athletes be successful on the court and in life. The mental component of competition will be a big part of my coaching moving forward. I truly believe that a mental edge can be a huge factor in games, especially when it comes to self-confidence and how to handle pressure," added Huerta.
She also discussed what she plans for the team's identity to be. "If I had to choose one word that I want my team to embody, it would be GRIT. Consistently show up prepared, put your head down, and work hard. Don't talk about it, be about it. As a coach, I never want to be outworked, and I want my team and my staff to reflect that. The biggest thing I preach to my athletes is that there are two things you can always control: your attitude and your effort. If you consistently show up with a positive and competitive attitude and give me your best effort, good things are going to happen."
