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Joanna Reitz steps in for Kristy Brown as WBB top assistant
ROME – Kristy Brown and Joanna Reitz each had a
tough decision to make. For both, the choice revolved around the
sport they love – basketball.
As it turned out, however, each woman’s decision was not only the right one for them, it was also right for Shorter University, women’s basketball head coach Vic Mitchell and the Lady Hawks’ program.
While Brown steps away from the court as the team’s assistant coach and enters the classroom as a full-time member of Shorter’s faculty, Reitz trades in a desk job for a return to the hardwood as Mitchell’s new assistant.
“It’s the nature of the business, but I look at it as a positive,” Mitchell said about the transition which makes Reitz his eighth assistant in 22 years at the helm of the Lady Hawks’ program. “Any time you change assistants, I don’t look at it as a bad thing. It gives you a fresh perspective on things and that’s what occurred here.”
Mitchell is confident that trend will continue, a trend Brown kept in tact when she joined his staff and became a key cog in her three seasons with the team. During that time, the Lady Hawks extended their streak of 20-win seasons to four and made back-to-back appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.
As much as she loves the game, however, Brown decided to swap a playbook for a grade book and will start the new year as an assistant professor in Shorter’s School of Education while at the same time completing her work towards a doctorate.
“I heard the Lord leading me to teach,” Brown said, noting that it was at a West Rome Baptist Church function earlier this year when it all became clear. “He opened up this door. Basketball is in my heart, but you have to trust in Him.”
“It was a tough decision for her,” Mitchell said. “But I think Joanna is another great young role model for our players.”
Reitz found her way to Shorter through a tried-and-true method used by coaches – a network of coaching friends.
That included contact with Roy Heintz, the head coach of the University of Alabama-Huntsville and the former head coach at Covenant College where Reitz played her collegiate ball.
“When I knew what Kristy wanted to do, I put some feelers out and Roy called me about Joanna,” said Mitchell.
After graduating from Covenant in 2006, Reitz headed to Florida State University – Heintz is a former assistant on the FSU women’s basketball coaching staff – where she earned two Master’s degrees in Sports Administration and Business in four years while at the same time serving as a graduate assistant with the women’s hoops squad for three of those years.
Last year, Reitz was named Florida State’s Director of Recruiting Operations by head coach Sue Semrau, but deep in her heart, the Denver, Colo., native wanted to work from a chair on the bench instead of a desk chair.
“I loved being at Florida State, but the position I was in was an office job,” Reitz pointed out. “I learned a lot, but I wanted to get back on the court, so I looked at other options.”
A Division I team contacted Reitz about becoming an assistant, but after Heintz notified her that Shorter was looking for help she hooked up with Mitchell by way of a phone call and the two set up a impromptu meeting at a Chick-fil-A in Thomasville.
“When I met coach Mitchell, it made it easier to make a decision,” said Reitz. “I liked it here when I came up for an interview. This is a really good program. It’s a good place.”
“What I saw in hiring Joanna is someone who knows a lot about the small-college level and has experience at the major-college level,” Mitchell said. “Those two experiences she’s had will be extremely valuable for us.”
Reitz is eager to contribute.
“I hope I can give Coach Mitchell and the team a new perspective,” she said. “I learned a lot of things from Coach Heintz and the coaching staff at Florida State. I’m excited and I think I can bring a lot to the table.
“I’ve met just about all of the players, but I haven’t spent a lot of time with them,” Reitz added. “I do know that they are outstanding. I’m ready to practice tomorrow.”
There is good reason for the optimism.
Shorter boasted not a single senior on last year’s team that rolled up a 24-8 record and a national tourney berth. Included among this year’s seasoned and savvy squad are rising seniors Kelly Ellison and Damisha Moore, both NAIA All-America selections.
“We couldn’t have gotten anybody better,” Brown said about the addition of Reitz to the coaching staff. “Joanna is great for Shorter, great for Coach Mitchell and great for the program. It’ll be a great change.”
The changes, however, don’t mean Brown will not be associated with the team. When the Lady Hawks regroup for the upcoming season, Brown will still be around by serving as the team chaplain.
“I’m excited about that,” said Brown. “I’ll still be close to the girls and help them grow closer to the Lord.”
