Jason Friend

Email: coachfriend23@gmail.com

Position:  Head Coach/President

• 10th Grade Head Coach

• 11th Grade Head Coach

 

Coach Friend is a native of Huntsville, AL. He graduated from J.O. Johnson High where he  played basketball, tennis and baseball while in high school. Coach Friend continued his education at Alabama A&M University where he graduated in 1998 with a B.A. in Telecommunications and Art Education. Coach Friend began coaching after years of putting it off, he was finally persuaded by his good friend Kevin Letson in 2008 to help coach a boys rec team at Mt. Carmel. In 2009 he was offered the position as Head Coach of the girls team at Williams Middle. The following year, in which would be the school's inaugural season for basketball (Girls and Boys). In the first season he and the Lady Hawks went on to go 27-1 and win the first Championship in school history. He has won the Girls City Basketball Championship twice and reached the Championship Game three times and qualified  playoffs every year during his tenure there.

 

COACH FRIEND”S COACHING EXPERIENCE:

• Assistant Coach – Mt. Carmel Rec  Basketball (BOYS) 2008-10

• Assistant Head Coach – Williams Middle Football (2010-11)

• Head Coach – Williams Middle Girls Basketball (2010-15)

• Head Coach – Alabama Elite AAU 9th (GIRLS) 2012

• Head Coach – Alabama Elite AAU 10th (GIRLS) 2013

• Head Coach/Founder – Huntsville Lady Hawks AAU 8th and 9th (GIRLS) 2014-Present

• Assistant Coach - Columbia High School Girls Varsity & JV Basketball (2016 to 2017)

• Head Coach - Whitesburg Middle School Girls Basketball (2017 t0 2018)

• Assistant Coach - Hazel Green High School Girls Basketball (Summer 2018 to 2020)

• Assistant Coach - Columbia High School Girls Varsity (2021 to Present)

Coaching Achievements:

• Winning Percentage as a Middle School Coach: WINS: 79 & Loses: 21 a 79.00%

• 5 playoff appearances / 3 Championship Appearances

• Mt. Carmel Rec Basketball League Championship Runners-up 2010

• Huntsville City Champions 2010-11

• Huntsville City Champions 2013-14

• Huntsville City Championship Runner-ups 2014-15

• Mystic River Tournament Champions AAU 2014

• Vigilance Explosion Tournament Champions AAU 2014

• Mystic River Tournament Runner-ups 2015

• Ballin At The Beach (Myrtle Beach, SC) 14u Champions 2015

• Ballin At The Beach (Myrtle Beach,SC) 15u Champions 2015

• Ballin Out Tournament (Atlanta, GA) 14u Runner-ups 2015

• Battle of the Border (Smyrna,TN) 8th/9th Grade Division Champions 2015

• Battle of the Border (Smyrna,TN) High School Division Runner-ups 2015

• Elite Tip-Off Classic (Muscle Shoals, AL) Runner-ups 2016

• Bama Fierce Lady Classic Champions High School Division 2016

• Bama Fierce Lady Classic Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• Mayhem Madness Ballers Champions High School Division 2016

• Mayhem Madness Ballers Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• NTBA South Carolina State Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• NTBA South Carolina State Runner-ups 10th Grade Division 2016

• 4th Annual Selma Invitational Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• 4th Annual Selma Invitational Champions 10th Grade Division 2016

• The End Of The Summer Bash Anniston, AL Runner-ups Varsity Division 2016

• 11th Hoop Dreams Shootout Pensacola Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• 6th Super South Showcase Smyrna, TN Champions 9th Grade Division 2016

• 6th Super South Showcase Smyrna, TN Runner-ups Varsity Division 2016

• Super 64 Showcase Chattanooga, TN Varsity Division Champions 2017

• 4TH Annual North Alabama Stars Mid Season Classic Champions 11th Grade Division 2017

• 4TH Annual North Alabama Stars Mid Season Classic Champions 10th Grade Division 2017

• Kentucky Heat Showcase Hopkinsville, KY Runner Up Varsity Division 2017

• Kentucky Heat Showcase Hopkinsville, KY Runner Up Junior Varsity Division 2017

• Hoopz Classic Huntsville, AL Varsity Champions 2017

• May Day Hoops Bball Shootout New Market, AL Varsity Champions 2017

• May Day Hoops Bball Shootout Junior Varsity New Market, AL Champions 2017

• 5th Annual North Alabama Stars Showcase Florence, AL Junior Varsity Champions 2017

• 5th Annual North Alabama Stars Showcase Florence, AL Varsity Division Runner up 2017

• Rising Stars Showcase Panama City, FL Varsity Champions 2017

• Rising Stars Showcase Panama City, FL Junior Varsity Champions 2017

• North Alabama Classic Florence, AL Varsity Champions 2018

• Rumble In The Ville Huntsville, AL Varsity Champions 2018

• Super 64 Showcase Chattanooga, TN Varsity Champions 2018

• Super 64 Showcase Chattanooga, TN 10th Grade Champions 2021

• 36 ALL-CITY or ALL-COUNTY PLAYERS

• FOUR SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETES: CHLOE LONG & RAYVEN PERSON (BOTH OF HAZEL GREEN HIGH SCHOOL, BOTH ATTENDING JACKSONVILLE STATE UNIVERSITY) & GERMANI ABRAM (ATTENDING MERCER UNIVERSITY)MEMBERS OF THE 2010-11 LADY HAWKS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM TAYLOR JONES (ATTENDING UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA IN BIRMINGHAM)

• THREE ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP ATHLETES: TIANNA LOVE (ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY), RICHE OLIVER (TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY) BOTH OF NEW CENTURY HIGH SCHOOL & ASHLEY TUTITT (UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA) MEMBERS OF THE 2010-11 LADY HAWKS CHAMPIONSHIP TEAM

 

John Avery

Position: Assistant Coach

• 10th Grade Asistant Coach

• 11th Grade Asistant Coach

 

• Retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1985 and the Department of Defense (DOD) in 2004.

• Received a Volunteer Appreciation Award from the J.E. Williams Middle School Athletics Department for supporting the Football and Basketball Program.

• Graduated from Lakeview High School in Guntersville Alabama in May 1965

• Associate in Arts  Degree in General Education, Cerro Coso Community College.

• Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Aviation Management,  Southern Illinois University (SIU), Carbondale.

• Masters of Business Administration (MBA) Degree, Webster University.

COACH AVERY'S COACHING EXPERIENCE:

• Coached the Edwards Air Force Women Base Basketball team from 1983-1985. With a record of 54 W and 12 L.

• Assistant Coach – Williams Middle Football (2010-11)

• Assistant Coach – Williams Middle Girls Basketball (2010 tp Present)

• Assistant Coach – Lady Hawks AAU 8th and 9th (GIRLS) 2014-Present

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Lita Friend

Position: Assistant Coach and Team Trainer

• 10th Grade Assistant Coach

• 11th Grade Assistant Coach

 

Coach Lita Friend is a native of Huntsville, AL. Coach Lita attends Alabama A&M where she is majoring in Secondary Education. Coach Lita will look to further her education in the field of Sports / Personal Training. While in public school she attended Ed White Middle School where she began her school career playing for the Lady Bulldogs. Coach Lita graduated from Sparkman High where she finished her school career with the Lady Senators, winning a state championship in 2007. She is also the mother of Landon, who can be found running around at practice most of the time.

 

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

• Ed White Middle School

• Sparkman High

COACH LITA FRIEND'S COACHING EXPERIENCE:

• Assistant Coach - Williams Middle Girls Basketball (2013-14)

• Assistant Coach - Williams Middle Girls Basketball (2014-15)

• Assistant Coach - Lady Hawks AAU 8th & 9th Grades (2014-Present)

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Tianna Love

Email: coachtlove23@gmail.com

Position: Assistant Coach

• 10th Grade Girls

• 11th Grade Girls

 

Coach Tianna (Tee) is a native of Huntsville, AL. Coach T is currently in her Junior year at Alabama A&M University.  Tianna's basketball playing experience began at an early age playing community rec ball. She started her school career at Providence Middle and also at Williams Middle where she played under Coach Friend as his star point guard. The two would go on the win The Huntsville City Girls Championship in 2011.  Tianna finished out her school basketball career with the Columbia High School Lady Eagles, where she led them to their first ever Area Championship (2015) in school history.

 

PLAYING EXPERIENCE:

• 2009-10 Providence Middle

• 2010-11 Williams Middle

• 2011 Madison County All Stars AAU

• 2011-12 Columbia High (Junior Varsity)

• 2012 Alabama Elite AAU 14u

• 2012-13 Columbia High (Varsity)

• 2013 Alabama Elite AAU 15u

• 2013-14 Columbia High (Varsity)

• 2014 Alabama Elite AAU 16u

• 2014-15 Columbia High (Varsity/Senior)

Basketball Achievements:

• 2010-11 Middle School Champion (Williams Middle)

• 2010-11 ALL-CITY TEAM

• 20114-15 AREA CHAMPION Columbia High

• 2014-15  AREA MVP

• 2014-15 ALL-AREA TEAM

• 2015 Selected to participate in Madison County Girls ALL-STAR Game

 

Darrin Johnson

Position: Assistant Coach

• 10th Grade Assistant Coach

• 11th Grade Assistant Coach

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Coach Darrin Johnson was an Army Brat. He’s lived numerous places but calls Cleveland, Oh home. He graduated from Arundel High School in Gambrills, MD where he played basketball. He joined the Army after graduation serving four years. He played basketball in the Army as well playing against some great talent. Later he attended Fayetteville State University on a basketball scholarship playing in the CIAA basketball conference. Coach Johnson enjoyed playing the game and loves coaching/developing skill and confidence in the players. He served as an asst. coach for Freshman Boys at Huntsville High School for four years and is just enjoying his return to coaching with the Lady Hawks.

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Scottie Bolden

Position: Assistant Coach

• 10th Grade Asst Coach

• 11th Grade Asst Coach

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Assistant Coach - Navigators organization (2011-12) 

 

President and  Head Coach - Bama Fierce organization (2013-16)  

 

Assistant Coach - Huntsville Lady Hawks (2017)  

 

Assistant Coach (Certified)- East Lawrence Middle School Girls Basketball  

 

Master Degree: Theology

Occupation: Full Time Youth Pastor 15 years

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As a Head or assistant  coach My role is to serve as an inspiration and encouragement to the learners. to show motivation is by giving positive feedback to boost the person’s morale.

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*As the Head or assistant  coaches must be a friend who is always ready to give a helping hand to the person and share the problems and successes. The learners need an assurance that there is someone who believes in their potentials

*As a coach head or assistant I’ve learn put emphasis on building a relationship based on mutual respect and trust. Keeping confidentiality helps build trust and respect of the individual.

 

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