GREEN BAY — As if the Notre Dame Academy girls basketball season couldn’t get any better after winning their second-straight Division 2 State title. Head Coach Sara Rohde was named by the Associated Press as the Wisconsin Girls basketball Coach of the year on Thursday.
She’s still coming down from the euphoric season her team just had.
“It’s just fun still talking with the girls and I guess just rehashing the whole tournament run,” she said.
It’s the second time the Tritons head coach has won the award. She was named coach of the year in 2013 after winning her first state title with the program.
“It’s a really great honor," said Rohde. "It’s incredible recognition for our program and anybody who is involved, to be honest.”
As any head coach will do, they give all the credit to their players. Rohde is no different.
“It’s a really huge credit to our players for how they play on the court," said the Tritons head coach. "I can put them in situations, but ultimately they're the ones who go out there and perform – get the job done.”
If one asks any of her players about why the team is successful, the first thing they will bring up is coach Rohde and what she means to the program.
“Playing at UW-GB and being able to give them what I have gone through as a player, as a coach and just convey that message to them and give them that confidence that they are really capable and strong,” the head coach said she provides to the program.
It also helps that she can still ball out and show her players that those days of playing for the Phoenix are not too far behind her.
“I still take pride in playing against them," she said. "I still challenge them to beating me in a game of one-on-one. It’s stuff like that we have fun with. We had that coaches versus players game this year and the coaches won. My staff in general, we’re always willing to play against our team and challenge them.”
Awards and titles are great, but it’s the little things like being on the team bus or even in the weight room that Rohde enjoys the most besides winning.
“They had like a Pitch Perfect remix that they would always sing this year. Songs in the locker room after games, even before games. I think those things really resonate.”
After winning her fourth state title with the program, Rohde has no plans of seeing her coaching days come to an end, she is hopeful to one day coach her two daughters, the youngest being in kindergarten.
“Hoping they love to play basketball and obviously, that would be fun to be able to coach them,” she said.
