Former Ripley Union Lewis Huntington High School girls basketball coach Chris Coleman was recently approved as the new Blue Jays boys coach. Photo courtesy of RULH
Coleman replaced at girls’ helm by longtime Mason County coach
Brian Littleton, most recently a coach at Mason County, will take over as the Blue Jays head girls basketball coach this upcoming season. Photo courtesy of RULH
The Ripley Union Lewis Huntington High School boys and girls basketball programs are getting a face-lift at the top, with at least one familiar face in the mix.
Former Blue Jay girls head coach Chris “Pup” Coleman will take over the boys program after Rex Woodward recently resigned to spend more time with his family. Meanwhile, longtime Mason County girls basketball coach Brian “Rabbit” Littleton will replace Coleman at the Blue Jay girls’ helm.
Both moves were approved at the April 20 RULH Board of Education meeting.
Coleman has served as the girls’ head coach for the past 14 years. He has coached basketball for the Ripley boys and girls programs for more 25 years, spending his first 11 years coaching junior high and junior varsity boys.
“Pup’s dedication to Ripley basketball is unmatched,” RULH Superintendent Jamie Wilkins said. “He has spent his adult life coaching boys and girls in the Ripley school system. He is a proven coach who will continue the long tradition of success with our boys basketball program. I am excited to see where Coach Coleman will take the program in the future.”
Coleman will be assisted by junior varsity coach Brad Cannon, voluntary assistant coaches Marty Adams and Jesse Cannon and Jason Tucker, and junior high coaches Michael Fegan and Zacharie Harney.
“I’m happy for this opportunity,” Coleman said. “I feel like it’s a new challenge for me. It was a very hard decision because I enjoyed coaching the girls so much. I’ve got to thank my coaching staff because we discussed it, and we decided let’s go for it and see what we can do.”
Littleton has coached basketball at various levels in the Mason County school system for the past 25 years. Most recently, he coached the freshman girls basketball team the past four years and the seventh- and eighth-grade girls teams for eight years prior to that. He has also directed the Mason County boys and girls youth basketball programs for the past 14 years. Littleton also is in his second season as the head softball coach at Mason County, where the team improved from seven wins to 15 in his first year.
“I am confident Rabbit will do a great job as our varsity girls basketball coach,” Wilkins said. “He has a tremendous coaching background and a high level of energy that made him the clear choice for this position. We are very pleased to welcome him to the Blue Jay family.”
Littleton will be assisted by junior varsity coach Jimmie Campbell, voluntary high school assistant coach Elaine Manning and junior high girls coach Niya Royal.
“I am honored and appreciative to be hired as the next Ripley Lady Jays basketball coach,” Littleton said. “My main goal as a coach is to invest and impact our young ladies’ lives in a positive matter and spark interest in girls basketball in the Ripley community. I can’t wait to get started.”
