By RICHIE HALL
As a basketball player, Jaidlin Delph is known for many achievements, such as scoring 1,000 points in high school and being part of a national championship team in college.
Now, she will get the opportunity to guide the next generation of basketball players. Delph was hired as the Sheridan High School head girls basketball coach Tuesday night during the Sheridan Community Schools’ board meeting. Delph graduated from Sheridan in 2012, then went on to play four years of college ball at Marian University.
“It’s beyond anything I could have imagined,” said Delph. “This program just means so much to me, going through it, and then going on to play at Marian just helped me to realize what a special program it is at Sheridan. So I’m really excited to see what we can do with it.”
While at Sheridan, Delph became the school’s first girl in over 20 years to reach the 1,000-point club, and at the time only the second overall, joining Amanda Maynard. (Brittany Welch and Audrey Reed have since reached the 1,000-point mark.) She played all four years for coach Jeff Guenther, and was an assistant coach for the Blackhawks last season.
Since Delph graduated from Sheridan not too long ago, she is aware that some of the players that she will be coaching likely remember her as a player as well. She was a role model then, and will be even more so now.
“It’s the best feeling, honestly,” said Delph. “It’s super cool to me that I get to help influence these girls and hopefully have a positive impact on their life. I know that coaches I’ve had in the past are just still, to this day, people that I talk to often, who’ve had such a great impact on my life. Hopefully I can be that to someone in the future.”
Delph knows about coaches who have had an impact. While at Marian, she played for Katie Gearlds, the 2003 Indiana Miss Basketball who went on to play at Purdue University, then professionally. Delph was part of the Knights’ NAIA Division II national championship team during the 2015-16 school year, her senior year. Delph graduated at the end of that year with a degree in business management.
“She’s definitely somebody that I know going into this role that I can call at 11 p.m. at night and say ‘Hey, what do I do now?'” said Delph. “So I’m very lucky to have her and just the support of all my former coaches as well.”
Delph also has the support of the Sheridan administration.
“This could not be a better hire for us,” said athletic director Beth DeVinney. “I’m really excited to work with her and she’s going to be a great young coach. I think that we have good things to come in our program for many years.”
Jaidlin Delph is the new Sheridan High School girls basketball coach. Delph graduated from Sheridan in 2012 and also played at Marian University, where she was part of a national championship her senior year. (Richie Hall)