After serving on an interim basis last season, Renee Brantley is the new head coach of the Oak Park and River Forest High School varsity girls basketball team. The school announced her full-time hiring in a press release, Sept. 13.
“It’s a blessing I’ll never take for granted,” Brantley told Wednesday Journal in an interview. “I just want to be able to help improve the program, change the culture, and put our young athletes in a good position to be successful on and off the court.”
“Renee has a passion for basketball and a student-centered approach to coaching,” OPRF Athletic Director Nicole Ebsen said in a statement. “Not only is she trying to develop athletes, but it is clear she is trying to develop good humans. Coach Brantley and her staff will be working to not only develop our OPRF athletes, but also to develop relationships within the community through the Junior Huskies Feeder Program.”
Last year, Brantley led the Huskies to a 7-25 record, which was a five-win improvement over the previous season. She feels the experience was of great benefit.
“Experience, I think, is one of the best teachers,” Brantley said. “I was able to learn, grow, see a lot of improvement from my players, and put the foundation in place. As time went on, I got to see the girls gain a little more confidence.”
OPRF is scheduled to bring back at least 10 players when practice starts in November. Having such an experienced squad is a plus in Brantley’s eyes.
“Absolutely. I’m excited,” she said. “It allows us to continue to build that chemistry. I’m also excited about the young players we have coming up. They’ve been working hard in the offseason and they’re understanding what it takes to be a competitive team night in and night out.”
Like boys basketball coach Phil Gary, Brantley believes the creation of the Junior Huskies Feeder program will help strengthen the high school program. She is upbeat how things are going.
“It’s such an honor and privilege to watch the amazing young talent we have in our community,” Brantley said. “It allows kids to play with one another and build relationships with the coaches, and also be around the high school players. It’s so much fun to see them grow and get better; hopefully we can get them to come to OPRF.”
While Brantley is optimistic about a program turnaround, she also realizes patience is necessary with the Huskies, who haven’t had a winning record since 2015-16. OPRF was 17-14 that season.
“It’s going to take some time,” she said. “It’s not going to happen overnight, but I think we’re going in the right direction.”
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