Russell more than ready to take reigns of D-C program
When one person rules the roost over a high school athletic program for 26 years, and is the only head coach that program has ever known, the new coach would seemingly be under a lot of pressure, right?
Not so in the case of Dundee-Crown's Michelle Russell.
But then Russell has never known anything in her coaching career but Dundee-Crown, nor would she want to. The program's all-time leading scorer is now in charge of one of the most respected programs in the state, a program that became that way under the leadership of Joe Komaromy, who may have retired at the end of last school year, but who will still run the Charger Classic Christmas Tournament, the best Christmas tournament for girls in the state and one of the top tournaments in the country.
But as for the D-C program itself, it now belongs to Russell, who once scored 45 points in a game while in high school before she went on to play Division I basketball at Valparaiso.
"I wouldn't do this anywhere else but Dundee-Crown," said Russell, whose father, Tom, was a longtime football, wrestling and softball coach at the school. "The last couple of years, as Joe started talking about retiring, I started thinking about it. I got a ton of support from Joe over the years and he still is supportive."
Russell says being a varsity coach certainly is different from the past 8 years she's spent as a Chargers' underclass coach, but that in the end it's still coaching.
"You get to practice in the big gym and have it all to yourselves," she said. "I've found varsity practices go faster because the girls know what to do and what's expected of them. But you're still teaching fundamentals. Maybe it's a little faster but all in all it's still the same coaching."
Off the court, Russell is learning about all the things that make being a varsity coach today a year-round job.
"We have summer and fall leagues here that have to be organized and there are so many things Joe took care of that you don't even realize it," she said. "As sophomore coach, he'd just ask me to get a list of sizes together for sweatshirts. Now I have to find and order the sweatshirts. With fundraisers, he'd just hand the girls a packet and they'd take it from there. Now I have to organize that. The little things become time consuming and it's a big commitment but I don't know what else I'd do with myself."
And don't think for a minute Russell isn't excited about the opportunity.
"All the build up is over now and the excitement is building as that first game gets closer," she said. "I'm glad it's here and the waiting game will be over soon."
Russell's team this season doesn't return a lot of experience, but the fact she coached all of the current varsity players at the underclass level helps a lot.
"The fact I know them already and know what to expect, and that they know me, that means a lot," Russell said. "For some it's two years later now and I can see how they've grown and matured."
As has their coach.
"This is mine now, and I'm ready for it," Russell said.
And having learned from one of the best makes that all the easier.
Congrats: Speaking of Dundee-Crown girls basketball, one of the program's all-time greats tied the knot over Labor Day weekend when Melissa Tarrant got married. But now Tarrant has to wear some different colors -she married Jacobs coach Ed Haugens.
"It's nice to go home and talk X's and O's with my wife. Heck, she knows more basketball than I do," joked Haugens. "She's a great girl and I couldn't be happier."
Congrats, Ed and Melissa. Now what I want to know is which side of the gym Melissa, who teaches at Hampshire and helped coach volleyball there this fall, will sit on when D-C plays Jacobs this winter.
Condolences: We send sympathies today to St. Edward football and softball coach Mike Rolando over the passing of his dad, Tom, earlier this week. Tom Rolando, who was the South Elgin Village Manager for 28 years, had been fighting bone marrow cancer the past couple of years. He was a staunch supporter of St. Edward football and exceptionally proud of Mike's work with the Green Wave program and the fact he was able to see the 5 St. Edward wins the past two years.