Wilson High School has hired Mariah Miles, former Okmulgee assistant basketball coach, to take over the Lady Tigers this coming season as the head girls basketball coach. Miles was an assistant coach for the Lady Bulldogs, working with head coach Lorin Hammer, for one year.

“It was exciting,” Miles said. “A little bit nerve wracking too because, I mean, one year of assistant coaching and then being approached for a head coaching job. It was exciting.”

According to Miles, her one year with Okmulgee and Coach Hammer prepared her for what the job entailed. Hammer and Miles worked together at Okmulgee Dunbar teaching the 7th grade. Miles taught English and Hammer taught math. Through their friendship, Miles learned important aspects of the game and what it would take to be on the sidelines at games.

“It definitely prepared me, seeing firsthand the ins and outs of the game under Lorin,” Miles said. “How practices go, how to prepare for a game day, what all goes into a game day.”

The Lady Bulldogs had a strong team that was anchored by powerful seniors this year. With the coaching abilities of Hammer, Miles and fellow assistant coach Maylisa Johnson, the Lady Bulldogs obtained balanced 13-13 record. A turbulent season with highs and lows. The Lady Bulldogs had strong moments, including back-to-back wins in the Okmulgee County Tournament. They took down Wilson (57-39) and Preston (53-52); however, they met their match in Morris. The Lady Bulldogs blanked in a 69-38 loss. Okmulgee also had a strong postseason start at regionals. The Lady Bulldogs defeated Tishomingo 58-46 and Antlers 48-34, but they couldn’t overcome No. 12 Valiant and faced a tough 72-38 loss.

Miles was with the Lady Bulldogs throughout the entire seeing and saw how Hammer led them to their 13-13 record.

“It was fun because, with basketball, you look at different approaches to the game,” Miles said. “It was fun because I just got to see how Lorin approached the game and what she believed in … It was definitely a growing year for me. Foremost, just to see everything firsthand that goes into being a head coach.”

Her year at Okmulgee helped Miles shape and evolve her coaching style. According to her, Hammer had the same history with basketball and helped her define how she wanted to coach.

“I definitely like Lorin’s approach,” Miles said. “Her and I both have similarities with our coaching beliefs already. Her and I both played high school basketball, we both did well in high school and we both went off to play college basketball. So, her and I both have the same approach, pretty much.”

Miles and Hammer both like to focus on strategy and understanding their foes on the court.

“I think one of the things that I’m going to pull away from that is definitely strategy,” Miles said. “Just because I got to see firsthand what she was thinking and how we would talk about it during games and practices. It was fun as an assistant coach to bounce ideas of each other.”

Being a coach from Okmulgee County, Miles is familiar with the Wilson Lady Tigers, who are just right down the road from the Lady Bulldogs. Though the Lady Tigers are in Class B, Okmulgee, who is Class 3A, has met them on the court before.

“Any kind of inside look before you go into a program is definitely super helpful, whereas if I went in there blind,” Miles said. “It also helps that my boyfriend of seven years, he’s the head coach for the boys basketball team.”

Former Okmulgee boys assistant coach Grant Proctor took over the Wilson Tigers during the 2019-20 season. Proctor rejuvenated the Tigers and led them to a 10-14 record.

“He knows the kids, so that helps me because the relationship is already established there,” Miles said. “I also know a little bit more about the players just because going to watch games, but also because Grant knows the players already too.”

According to Miles, she plans on getting the Lady Tigers ready for the upcoming season once OSSAA restrictions are lifted. As of right now, the OSSAA is recommending limited contact between coaches and players due to COVID-19 and guidelines for summer activities have not been released.

“I think preparation is the most important key,” Miles said. “Right now, it’s just kind of the future is unforseeable right now. We don’t know all the details of what we can do in the summer, whereas if I did have the ability to work with the girls this summer, I’m wanting to go ahead and get them into strength training.”

Miles also stated, if permitted, she would want to have team meetings.

“Just getting the girls together, getting to know them and for them to get to know me and what I expect from them as a group this year and what our goals are going to be,” Miles said. “Just getting them together and getting to know each other, establishing goals, like I said, weightlifting and fundamentals this summer is going to be one of my key focusses, granted if OSSAA permits us to.”