Almost three weeks after leading Hathaway to a Division V non-select state championship, Courtneé Hollins is departing to take over the girls basketball program at Iowa.

In seven years at Hathaway, her first job as a head coach, Hollins led the Hornets to the playoffs each season, garnering six district titles, two state runner-up finishes and one state championship.

Hollins said she is taking plenty of good memories from her stint at Hathaway.

“I enjoyed watching the kids each year get better and better,” she said. “The Hathaway community made the coaching part fun because they were so supportive. And of course, I enjoyed the winning.”

Hollins said she is looking forward to establishing a winning tradition at Iowa, which has four playoff wins since 1985.

“I’m looking forward to creating a winning culture,” she said. “Iowa girls basketball has been down for a while so I look forward to changing that. It will be challenging, but I’m looking forward to a new challenge. And, after meeting the administration, I’m excited to work with them.”

Hathaway went 33-4 last season and defeated Fairview 64-54 in the state championship game on March 3 in Hammond. Hollins played at Fairview under legendary head coach Kyle Jinks, who she said has had a big influence on her as a coach.

“It’s so many ways it would be hard to count them,” Hollins said about how Jinks influenced her, “but I think the one that stands out to me is how important the mindset is, a winning mind-set. It’s everything. Not only in basketball, but in life, and I’ve used that my whole career and even in my personal life as well.”

Hollins, an all-Southland Conference performer at McNeese State (2006-10), said she wants the Yellow Jackets competing for trophies.

“The ultimate goal is to win a state championship,” she said. “It will take a lot of work, I know that, but isn’t that every coach’s goal for their program, to win a championship? I know it is for me.”