The Worthington Christian High School girls basketball team will have a new coach next winter, and it will be a familiar one to those who have followed the program.
According to athletics director Kevin Weakley, Chris Joseph is taking over after Tammi Evans recently resigned after five seasons.
Joseph guided the Warriors to a 169-50 record from 1997-2006, leading them to four district championships, three league titles and a Division IV state semifinal in 2000-01.
After not coaching in 2006-07, Joseph led the DeSales girls to a 25-19 mark over the next two seasons.
Then in 2012-13 and 2013-14, he led the Gahanna Christian boys team to a 34-14 record.
Joseph also is the executive director of Court U, a nonprofit organization that holds sports camps, clinics and workout sessions.
“I do know a lot of the families (at Worthington Christian) and there are a lot of neat kids,” Joseph said. “There are a lot of good kids and some good players coming up and I know there are a lot of good families. I’m looking forward to it. There’s going to be a little rebuilding going on, but hopefully we can surprise some people.”
Joseph is the father of 2008 Worthington Christian graduate Tyler Joseph, 2010 Olentangy Orange graduate Zack Joseph, 2013 Orange graduate Maddy Brett and 2017 Worthington Christian graduate Jay Joseph, all of whom played at the prep level. His wife, Kelly Joseph, was Orange’s girls coach in 2013-14.
Brett, who also played collegiately for Ohio Christian, is likely to be on her father’s coaching staff in some capacity.
Joseph inherits a program that went 87-34 under Evans with a Division IV regional runner-up finish in 2014-15. She co-coached the program with John Rettstatt in 2013-14 before becoming the lone head coach the next season.
“I love working with players to become more on and off the court, and the game of basketball has always been a big part of my life,” Evans said.
Evans is the principal at Worthington Christian Middle School and has four children, including Alex Evans, a senior who played for the girls program.
“The past five years have been a gift that only God could have given me,” Evans said in a letter she sent to members of the program. “I was blessed with priceless memories, celebratory victories and challenges that built my own character.”
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