The girls hoops team at Hillcrest High has a new leader who can’t contain her enthusiasm about the talent and verve she sees in the school’s returning players.

Not five hours had passed since Shannon Hurst accepted the offer to be the Lady Huskies’ head basketball coach on Friday, May 1, 2015 and she was already hard at work thinking about camps, conditioning, and camaraderie. 

“I am so excited. I know the talent we have,” said Hurst, a former Snow College player and standout at Granite High “We have a young team, so I’m excited to have them for a few more years.”

Hurst, who plans to soon have a meeting with parents and players, has been Hillcrest’s junior varsity coach for the past four seasons. Her time as the head of the JV squad has provided a good look at the athleticism of the players and the solid relationships that exist on the team.

“These girls are pretty tight-knit. They are good off the court so I am excited to see how it will work on the court,” said Hurst, who also is looking for strong assistant coaches. “I think that I’d like this team to be known for its intensity. Anytime anyone is on the floor, I’d like to see intensity. They should be giving 100 percent.”

Fundraising and summer camps are part of her plans. It’s never too early to start thinking about the challenges that will come in the fall, she said. 

She hopes her players will shoot hoops as much as possible in the summer months – and even scrimmage against the boys in their neighborhoods.  “Any time you can play, even with your guy friends,” she says, “you will get a lot better.”

Hurst is a 2011 graduate of Utah State University. She teaches physical education and health at Hillcrest.