Newcomer takes over successful Lady Panthers program

Morgan Mines was unanimously approved as the new Powell High School varsity volleyball coach by the Park County School District No. 1 Board of Trustees on May 26.

The board made the decision after PHS activities director Tim Wormald nominated Mines for the position.

“I’m excited about bringing Coach Mines into the program. She is a very enthusiastic and driven individual who, by all accounts, works really well with students,” Wormald said in an email Tuesday. “She understands what it takes to be successful. She has impressed me with her focus on developing our students into responsible, caring young ladies and helping them appreciate the value of athletics at the high school level.

“I look forward to a lot of good things from her program in the years to come.”

Mines will take over for 17-year head coach Cindi Smith, whose contract was not renewed in January. Mines, who coached freshman and junior varsity basketball and volleyball for the previous two seasons at Tongue River High School in Dayton, will have her work cut out for her as she prepares to lead a Lady Panthers team that went 32-3 and finished third at the Class 3A State Volleyball Tournament.

“They had a great season last year, and in their previous seasons in the past years, and I’m excited because I can learn as much from the girls as they can learn from me,” Mines said. “Hopefully they can learn from me and we can put all the pieces together for a successful season.”

This will be the first time Mines coaches at the varsity level, and the coach said she is prepared for the challenges ahead.

“Just challenging them every single day to be better every day, whether it’s academically or athletically,” Mines said of the biggest difference between varsity and JV. “My main focus is making them better people, better athletes each and every day.”

Along with her coaching duties, Mines will also teach kindergarten through third grade special education at Westside Elementary School in Powell.