Tiffany Hamm-Rowe has stepped down after six seasons as head coach of the Harlan girls basketball program, according to a press release from the Harlan Independent Schools.
“It was a dream fulfilled to coach at my alma mater,” said Hamm-Rowe, a 2000 graduate of the school who helped lead the Lady Dragons to 13th Region titles as a player in 1998 and 1999 before going on to a standout college career at Western Carolina.
She was never able to get the Lady Dragons back to that status as a coach, inheriting a squad that had lost all-state guard Jordan Brock to graduation following regional titles in 2016 and 2017. Hamm led the Lzdy Dragons to the 13th Region Tournament in her first season of 2018, finishing 16-16. The Lady Dragons posted losing records the next five years and finished with a 63-107 mark overall.
Mackenzie King, a senior on Hamm-Rowe’s first team at Harlan and an assistant coach last season after playing four years at UVA Wise, will take over coaching the team during its summer schedule and serve as interim coach until a permanent selection is made. The district release said Hamm-Rowe will continue in her teaching role.
“Coach Hamm-Rowe has been a great asset to our girls basketball program. She has poured her heart and soul into the program, as well as the players. As much as we would have liked for her to continue in her role as the head coach, prioritizing family is an important factor every coach must wrestle with,” said Harlan athletic director Jamie McNiel. “On behalf of Harlan High School and the Lady Dragon basketball program, we want to thank coach Hamm for her hard work and dedication.”