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Whirlwind Courtship: Minnis named new Plano volleyball coach
BY Kevin Hageland, khageland@starlocalnews.com
After packing up the room Monday, former Little Elm volleyball head coach Teri Minnis sat in the middle of her now-empty office and took a moment to reflect.
"I looked around and just thought, 'Holy cow,'" she said. "It was the first time during the whole experience where I had a chance to think about everything that happened and realize that I was saying goodbye to one school and ready to start a new challenge."
That challenge will take place at Plano Senior.
But it wasn't just the move that had Minnis saying, "Holy cow," it was the speed in which it took place.
"This has all happened so fast," she added. "My head is still spinning."
On July 4, Minnis was alerted about the Plano opening by an athletic director friend in South Texas. Minnis submitted her resume that day and talked with Plano ISD athletic director Gerald Brence the next day. The rapidness of the process continued from there as Minnis had her first interview July 11 and was offered the position at the end of that meeting.
"I had my mind pretty much made up going into the interview that if they offered me the job I was going to take it," Minnis said. "I took a couple minutes to think it over, but I really liked the idea of coming into an established school that still had a hometown feel."
As evidenced by the pace of the process, PISD sees plenty of positives in Minnis too.
Having served as an assistant at Frisco Centennial for two seasons prior, Minnis took over as head coach at Little Elm in 2009.
"The team had only won six matches the year before I took over and just one the season before that," she said, "so I knew we would only get better."
Little Elm took its lumps during a winless district campaign in 2009, but improved to 4-8 in district in 2010. The Lady Lobos didn't make the playoffs in 2011 either, but the wins accumulated during Minnis' three years at the helm more than tripled Little Elm's win total from the three years prior to her arrival.
"I feel like we made some great improvements during those three years," Minnis said. "And maybe I had done as much as I could do."
That being said, departing Little Elm wasn't easy.
"It is hard leaving the kids and staff," Minnis said, "so that part is bittersweet."
Minnis said the support she got from the Lobos community made the decision easier.
"This is a huge opportunity for [Minnis]," said Sandra Howell, Little Elm athletic director. "To jump from (Class) 4A to 5A is big."
Minnis knows the jump in prestige brings a jump in difficulty.
"Moving up to the Class 5A level will mean much more competition across the board," she said. "Plus we will be in a very competitive district, especially with McKinney Boyd bringing back most of their players from a team that made a run to state last year."
Minnis, who also coaches 18s at Dallas Summit Volleyball Club, may know more about District 10-5A at this moment than her own team.
"I've seen some of their former players at the club level, but we never played Plano so I haven't met any of the kids yet or seen them play," she said. "And that makes me very nervous because I'm one of those coaches that likes to have as much information as possible and plan everything out down to the last minute."
Easing Minnis' trepidation should be the fact the Lady Wildcats are scheduled to bring back seniors Lauren Stahlman, Ally Birkett, Alicia Hinojos, Madi Morell, Sam Seal and Audrey Landry as well as juniors Natalie Fazio and Aubrey Davis.
While those players have varsity experience, they may have to learn a new system.
"I'm not afraid to come right in and tell the players what my philosophy is," Minnis said. "We will have practices run very game like and slowly, but surely I think that will translate into the actual matches."
Plano, which has missed the playoffs the past two seasons, opens practice Aug. 6.
"Our goal is definitely to make a playoff run," Minnis said. "I've already been looking at the schedule and I'm very anxious ... just ready to get started. I wish we were starting tomorrow."
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