Halasz named new Lady Spartans coach

MOUNTAIN BROOK – The Mountain Brook High School girls basketball program has settled on its new leader.

On May 18, Sara Halasz was named the head coach of the Lady Spartans following the Mountain Brook Board of Education meeting. Halasz comes to Mountain Brook after being the head coach at Pinson Valley for the past four years.

“First and foremost, I thank God for every blessing and him for even giving me this opportunity,” Halasz said. “I’m grateful for it. I’m excited. If I could start workouts tomorrow, I would.”

Halasz replaces John London, who was the Mountain Brook head coach for three seasons. He compiled a 44-39 record over that timespan.

“From the beginning of our search, the administration, athletic department, and advisory committee’s goal was to find a coach that possessed the qualities, characteristics, and attributes we found to be important for this position,” Mountain Brook Athletics Director Benny Eaves said in a release. “Through the interview process, numerous meetings, and extensive conversations with contacts within the basketball coaching community — both locally and nationally — we are confident that we have the right coach in Sara Halasz to direct our program.”

Halasz, an Ohatchee native, starred at the University of New Mexico, where she compiled over 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career that spanned from 2008 to 2014. She played professionally in Germany and the Czech Republic before returning to Alabama to begin her coaching career. 

“In my discussions with [her] mentors, she was described as humble, incredibly hard-working, an engaging and encouraging teacher of the game, and a bright star in the coaching profession,” Eaves said.

For Halasz, coaching is about much more than the Xs and Os.

“It’s building relationships with the kids,” she said. “Building those and getting to know the kids and getting to know where they come from and how they work and what they do, that’s what’s so gratifying as a coach.”

At Pinson Valley, Halasz has competed against Mountain Brook for several years and sees the foundation in place for an extremely successful program.

“They are young, and that’s awesome because it’s a lot of room to grow,” she said. “I’ve seen them over the years grow and seen how scrappy and hard-working they are. That fits in my style of play.”

Halasz hopes to continue to foster a sense of togetherness throughout the program and school, another aspect that drew her to the position.

“I love the support from the community. It’s not done by just me, it’s by a whole village. When everybody’s on board and wants to support, it grows,” she said.

One of Halasz’s biggest influences on her coaching style is Tennessee legend Pat Summitt, who was known for her fiery demeanor.

“I’m intense, but at the end of the day, the kids are going to know that I care about them, and they’re going to have fun,” Halasz said.

For those in the community unfamiliar with Halasz, she said she hopes to earn their trust with how she leads the players and the program.

“Student comes before athlete, and they’re always going to be pushed,” she said. “I’m going to care about the kids and grow those relationships and challenge them and make them competitive and make them work hard.”