Lake Orion has their new Girls Basketball Coach.

Written Wednesday April 15th at 6:48 PM

Lake Orion has went within with their new girls basketball coach.

The Dragons named Dan Steakley as their new girls basketball coach on Wednesday. Steakley takes over for Coach Bob Brydges who was let go last month.

"Dear Dragon Girls Basketball Family, After completing our search for our next leader of our girls basketball program, I am excited to announce that Dan Steakley has been named the Head Varsity Coach. Coach Steakley brings years of experience and success within our program. His vision for the future along with his proven ability to develop a positive and winning culture made him the ideal candidate to lead our program to the next level. In the coming days, Coach Steakley will meet with the players to discuss offseason plans. Following that meeting we will schedule a parent meeting where he will share his vision and outline the direction of the Lake Orion Girls Basketball program moving forward. Please join me in congratulating Coach Steakley on this well deserved opportunity" said Lake Orion Athletic Director and Varsity Football Coach Chris Bell in a email to parents and coaches.

Steakley is a teacher at Oakview Middle School and was the Junior Varsity Coach under Brydges from 2018 until this past season. He has had a ton of success with the program but going from Junior Varsity to the Varsity is going to be a much different task and a big adjustment.

Steakley will be tasked in bringing the Dragons back after a rough 6-17 year which included a very disappointing 53-34 loss to Adams in the district semifinals.

Lake Orion has Kara Veeder, Abby Neering, Kelsey King, Trinity Hays, Addi Wotlinski, Maddie Cloos, Mary Graves, and others coming back. The Dragons also have program strength. This is an area that Brydges had success with the program and something that Steakley needs going forward.

The Dragons are in the White with Bloomfield Hills, Troy Athens, Seaholm, Berkley, and Royal Oak this upcoming season. Lake Orion was in the Red this past season.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with Lake Orion this winter. Steakley will have a lot to prove along with this program and as mentioned it will be very interesting to see what happens.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

Klumpp leaves a legacy at Troy Athens.

Written Wednesday April 15th at 1:24 PM

Stacie Klumpp was the face of Troy Athens Girls Basketball for many years.

Klumpp has stepped down coaching the Red Hawks last month. The job was posted on April 8th from Zip Recruiter.

Klumpp took over the program in 2012 has led Troy Athens to their district crown since 2002 and went 19-6 this past season. Klumpp went 115-148 at Troy Athens but it's a very deceiving record. She did great things with the Red Hawks on and off the court and built bonds and great relationships with her players, coaches, and program. 

Troy Athens has Annabelle Beaubien, Ashari Daram, Ella Odgers, Emery Collesano, Gabrielle Bieniek, Haley Fellin, Kaitlyn Piggott, Madi Stencel, and Laityn Dennis coming back. Program strength has been a big part of Klumpp's program and the Red Hawks will have that in the future.

It will be very interesting to see who takes over for Klumpp at Troy Athens next season and also what Klumpp does in the future. The Red Hawks will be in the White with Bloomfield Hills, Berkley, Seaholm, Royal Oak, and Lake Orion next season.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

Jayson leaves legacy at Waterford Mott.

Written Tuesday April 14th at 5:50 PM

Updated Wednesday April 15th at 7:45 AM 

Waterford Mott will have a new boys basketball coach next season.

According to a very accurate source Corsairs Coach Jeff Jayson has become the new head coach at Macomb Community College.

Waterford Mott posted the job on Monday and Jayson's X page confirmed that he is the new coach at Macomb Community College. 

Jayson spent six years at Waterford Mott before returning in 2023 and has continued the tradition of dominance with the Corsairs leading them to a 58-15 record in his three seasons back at his Alumni school. He had a previous stint with Waterford Mott leading them to a regional final appearance in 2012.

The Corsairs have Jasiah Benton, Milan Bland, Greg White, and Keegan Talley coming back but it's unknown if Tori Robinson will play next season surrounding football. Program strength is a big concern for Waterford Mott as well. 

It will be very interesting to see what direction the Corsairs go and who takes over the program.

Waterford Mott will be in the White with Rochester, Stoney Creek, Bloomfield Hills, Oxford, and Lake Orion next season. 

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

 

Here is Jayson's X page

https://x.com/coachjjayson 

 

Waterford Mott Coaching job from Indeed.

https://www.indeed.com/q-basketball-coach-l-michigan-jobs.html?vjk=2bb6d72df24b13ec 

Someone's back in the OAA.

Written Monday April 13th at 6:38 PM

Someone is back in the OAA.

Bob Meyer has returned to the OAA as the new varsity football coach at Waterford Kettering.

Tim English confirmed the hire. 

Meyer takes over for Brian Barnes who had to step down in the middle of the season after taking the Athletic Director job at Madison Heights Bishop Foley.

Meyer brings instant creditably to Waterford Kettering. He has been at Walled Lake Central, Livonia Clarenceville, and Avondale before coming back to his Alumni School. 

Waterford Kettering has been 26-68 since 2016. The Captains haven't made the postseason since 2013. Waterford Kettering barely missed the postseason in 2023 falling to arch rival Waterford Mott.

The Captains are returning to the OAA this fall for the first time since 2008. 

Meyer brings the Wing T offense to Waterford in which Waterford Kettering scored 85 points total last season along with a defensive mindset. The Captains had the worst defense in the Lakes Valley Conference allowing 407 points last season.

Meyer will build on what Barnes left off. He needs to provide stability to a program that really needs it.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

Harper Woods will have a new Boys Basketball Coach next winter.

Written Monday April 13th at 1:50 PM

Harper Woods will have a new boys basketball coach next winter.

Pioneers coach TaJuan Porter has stepped down coaching the Pioneers after five seasons with the program.

The D-Zone confirmed the departure. 

Porter went 42-61 at Harper Woods in his five years coaching the program. The Pioneers won the Gold and a district in 2023.

The Pioneers will be in the Blue with Troy, Troy Athens, Pontiac, and Seaholm next season. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Harper Woods next season.

Program strength will be something to watch with the Pioneers going forward. 

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

 

Here is the D-Zone's tweet.

https://x.com/TheDZoneBBall/status/2043720303323263138 

Groves will have a new Girls Basketball Coach next season.

Written Saturday April 11th at 8:25 AM

The Falcons will have a new girls basketball coach next winter.

Groves Coach Jessica Duleba was not retained a few weeks ago after winning their first district crown since 2023. The Falcons went 18-7 but fell 80-65 to Wayne Memorial in the regional semifinals. Duleba was the coach of the year in the White as well.

Three very accurate sources confirmed to me this story. 

Duleba went 24-23 in her two years in Beverly Hills. She brought in the Grinnel System to Beverly Hills which is a fast pace offense with quick shots that relied on the three along with a full court pressure defense and multiple substitutions. They used that system to win games scoring at a furious pace which they averaged over 80 points per game. It worked pretty well especially early in the season until opponents started to figure out the system they ran. 

The Falcons are going to be in the Red with Clarkston, West Bloomfield, Rochester, Oxford, and Stoney Creek next winter. Groves has Harlem Simpson, Sophie Schwanik, Sofia Acuna, Molly Frederiksen, Miah Richert, Mallory Killian, Lily McClendon, Julie Audebeau, Genevieve Meihn, Cece Cardenas, and Charlie Gress coming back. Simpson could be a possible Miss Basketball candidate. Program strength will be a serious question to watch after this senior class graduates next season.

It won't be long until Duleba gets back into coaching at another high school program. It will also be very interesting to see how the Falcons adjust to a new coach and a new direction for the third time in five years.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

Southfield Arts and Tech has their new Varsity Football Coach.

Written Monday April 6th at 1:20 PM

It didn't take long for Southfield Arts and Tech to find their new varsity football coach.

The Warriors named Antwon Robinson as their new head coach. Robinson replaces Keith McKenzie whom became the defensive coordinator at Farmington.

The D-Zone, Sean Cotter, and Tim English confirmed the hire. 

Robinson played at Southfield in 2008 and was previously an assistant coach at Wayne State and was the interim coach in 2022.

Robinson will be tasked of turning around a Warriors program that went 3-15 in their last two years under McKenzie after they won the Division One State crown under then coach Isiah Marshall who is now at Birmingham Brother Rice. 

Robinson is very familiar with Southfield Arts and Tech serving as their assistant athletic director in 2017-2018 according to Robinson's football site at Wayne State.

It will be very interesting to see what happens with the Warriors who will be in the Blue with Groves, Seaholm, Oak Park, and Harper Woods.

Stay tuned to OAA Now for the latest on this developing story. 

 

Robinson Football Coach Bio

https://wsuathletics.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/antwon-robinson/1204 

 

D-Zone tweet

https://x.com/TheD_Zone/status/2041188104011194736