GBB: Shelbyville names new coach

Her first chance to prove her peers correct begins now.

On
Monday, the Shelbyville Central Schools board unanimously approved
Norris as the new high school girls’ varsity basketball coach.

She is currently an assistant basketball coach and junior varsity softball coach at Greenfield-Central.

“I’m
the type of coach that loves to get in the gym and teach the game,”
Norris said Tuesday morning. “I love getting girls enthusiastic about
the little things.”

And that’s where it will begin for a Lady
Golden Bears basketball program that has won a total of four games the
last two seasons after averaging 18 wins between 2001 and 2007.

Norris, 24, is a basketball overachiever.

Hard work and perseverance propelled her from a middle school reserve player to varsity standout at Shenandoah.

Between
2001 and 2003, Norris played in three Class 2A state championship games
under head coach Todd Salkoski. And in 2003, Norris scored 30 points
and including the game-winning free throws with three seconds left to
lead Shenandoah over Southwestern (Hanover), 52-51 to win the state
title.

Norris, who owns the school scoring record for points in
a season (516) and career (1,387), received the Patricia L. Roy Mental
Attitude Award after the championship game.

During Norris’ final three seasons, Shenandoah was 71-10.

Norris was named an Indiana All-Star in 2003 and went on to play collegiately at the University of Indianapolis.

A
four-time Academic All-Star at Indianapolis, Norris has spent the last
two seasons working as an assistant coach at Mount Vernon and
Greenfield-Central, respectively.

That gives her some familiarity with the Shelbyville program.

The
highly-motivated Norris will preach and teach fundamentals from the
outset and looks forward to cultivating the younger players in the area.

“I think it’s important to get a strong feeder program in place,” Norris said.

Norris won over Shelbyville athletic director Paul Heidenreich quickly.

“Her
attitude is unbelievable,” Heidenreich said. “She is extremely
positive. She is extremely personable. She has a passion that is
visible about basketball.”

Norris, who will teach math at the
high school, will receive either a two- or three-year contract based
upon the recommendation for the boys’ coach.

A double
announcement was expected Monday, but the final board vote on the
vacant boys’ varsity basketball coach was postponed so that some
questions from the final two candidates could be answered more
thoroughly.