New coach, fresh start, for women’s basketball

The Saints’ basketball team is starting fresh this year with a new team and new head coach Jocelyn McIntire.

McIntire was hired in early June after a national search reviewing 29 applicants, said Kim Hyatt, MHCC athletic director.

“Coach McIntire brings a wealth of playing and coaching experiencing to the position and has consistently been affiliated with some of the top women’s basketball programs in the country,” Hyatt said.

McIntire attended Lake Oswego High School where she played basketball and went on to play at the University of Washington as a point guard.
She has coached at various levels, including assistant and head high school positions, as well as serving in an assistant coaching position at Willamette University. She also spent time coaching her two children.

McIntire said she came to the college “really not knowing much about Mt. Hood at all,” but wants to focus on establishing the program and creating what she wants Mt. Hood basketball to be. Her second goal for the team is to make playoffs. At a team meeting, it was decided that the women wanted to make at least fourth place in conference.

Returning sophomore guard Haley Chovich said she likes her new coach. She described her as being a “disciplinary coach” with high expectations for the team.

“She pushes us not only physically, but mentally as well,” said Chovich.
The first three weeks of practice were spent on straight conditioning. The players are continuing to work on technical skills as they prepare for their first scrimmage.

“Transitioning hasn’t been too hard,” said Chovich. “I would say every year is a new transition because it’s a new year and a clean slate.”

McIntire says they are still implementing the playbook into practice since so many of the girls are new. They are all learning to play together.

McIntire has hardly seen the women play and is excited for the first scrimmage where she says the team will “get our feet wet.”

Chovich’s favorite thing about her new coach is that “she always has a very well printed-out practice plan for the day. She always encourages high competition. It’s nice knowing that every day we come to practice we are going to go hard.”

With the game being stitched together by a new team and coach who are all learning a foreign playbook, McIntire said, “It wouldn’t surprise me if we struggled early on.

“The brain slows the body down,” she added. When asked about other weaknesses, McIntire said, “Looking at us on paper we lack height.” But with small size comes speed, she said. Leadership has also developed despite seven new players.

McIntire is confident the game will pick up once the team gets past the learning curve and is able to just play without thinking.

McIntire said there are other variables when coaching at the college level. She said the women have stress from school and jobs that they are trying to balance. She works to institute on- and off-court expectations.

Of the upcoming season, Hyatt said she is excited to see it begin. “I believe the talent is there for this group to be very successful,” she said.

McIntire plans on staying three to five years, explaining it takes time to “establish the program and establish yourself” and to “see if I know what the heck I’m doing,” she added with a laugh.

Overall, McIntire likes MHCC and is glad to be part of a “really good community” that she says has a good vibe.