ALTON - After sifting through seven very qualified applicants, Marquette Catholic High School chose former Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) assistant women's coach, Lee Green to replace former coach, Meagan Hanlon.
Green has had 21 years coaching basketball from the middle school level through college. He has taught both girls and boys during his tenure. He was the assistant coach at SIUE under Wendy Hedberg from 2002-08. During that time, he recruited several star players including Whitney Sykes, who had one of the highest free throw percentages in the nation during her time playing.
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"I've done it all, coached from middle school to high school to college," Green said during a conference with the girls' team. "I've taught boys and girls. I am excited to return to the school setting. There is a lot of tradition here."
Green started his career at a small Christian school in California whose girls' basketball team had a completely losing season previous to his arrival. That losing season continued during Green's first year coaching, but he was able to turn it around not long after his coaching start.
He said coaching girls is very different from coaching boys.
"I think coaching girls' basketball is more of a team game," Green said.
Last year's Marquette girls team had a pretty middle of the road season, but the junior varsity (JV) team had an incredible record, Marquette Catholic High School Athletic Director Jack Holmes said. Holmes said Green was one of three outstanding finalists for the open position, adding he showed sincerity and a high degree of professionalism.
"There's always something that tells you who rises to the top," Holmes said. "We had committee interviews with him, and he really sold us from the get-go."
Since coming to Marquette, Green has befriended the boys' basketball coach, which Holmes said is essential for a good athletic program and shared gym time.
Besides coaching girls basketball at Marquette, Green is a salesman in Granite City. He lives in Maryville and has two children who attend Edwardsville High School. His son is a sophomore, Sam Green, who enjoys playing basketball, and his daughter, Haley Green, is a senior who plays softball.
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