Mendy Stotts knows what it takes to be an all-state basketball player - she was one at Wayne County during her playing days. Now she’ll try to produce all-state basketball players for Warren County.

On Monday, Warren County Middle School hired Stotts as its newest 7-8 grade Lady Pioneer coach. Stotts replaces Tara Koran, who was let go last month after a three-year tenure at WCMS.

It was true honor to be selected for Stotts, who has worked hard to integrate in a new town.

“Ever since moving to Warren County, I wanted to be a part of doing what I can to help the youth succeed in this county I now call home,” said Stotts. “Basketball is something I am very passionate about and (it) has provided me great opportunities in my life.

“When I heard I got the job, I was super excited and felt extremely blessed. I was immediately ready to get started and reach out to the girls.”

Passion and presentation were two of the reasons WCMS athletic director Betsy McBride thought Stotts was a good pick for the job.

“Mendy has a lot of experience with working with young people on and off the court. She presents herself well and has a confident philosophy of her goals. I felt this gave her an advantage, although the decision was not easy,” said McBride.

Stotts brings a wealth of experience as a player, having been named an all-state player while playing for Wayne County from 1992-95. In her high school career, Stotts went to the state tournament three times, appeared in two final fours and won 113 games.

She went on to play at Martin Methodist College, where she became the third female player to join the 1,000-point club. Stotts was inducted in the Martin Methodist College Hall of Fame in 2018.

How she plans to run the WCMS program will be similar to the teams she grew up playing for in Wayne County.

“I was blessed to grow up in an area where girls basketball was a very big deal. I would love to see a Warren County girls basketball program be something young girls in our county grow up and dream to be a part of,” said Stotts. “I envision teaching teamwork and being competitive because these thing are very important in life – both on and off the court.

“I want to teach the girls in the program that being successful is knowing you gave the best effort in becoming all you are capable of becoming.”

Dates for WCMS basketball tryouts are still being determined. 

More comments from Stotts and McBride can be found with the story on southernstandard.com.