Longtime Wasilla mentor honored for 400th win

WASILLA — Thursday evening, longtime Wasilla High School girls basketball coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax stood near midcourt, between Wasilla High principal Amy Spargo and activities director Chuck Martin.

Hebert-Truax held a basketball in her hands. Printed in bold ink on the ball was the number 400.

WHS took a moment to recognize an achievement only one girls basketball head coach in Alaska history can claim.

Four hundred wins.

Earlier this season, with a nonconference victory over Service, Hebert-Truax earned the 400th win of an illustrious coaching career that’s included four state titles and 10 region championships. Hebert-Truax, the winningest high school girls basketball head coach in Alaska history, didn’t really think about these types of milestones for most of her time at Wasilla High. The focus was on wins in a season, and victories in the championship games, not wins in a career. It wasn’t until she made a trip to Denver, Colorado, for the women’s NCAA Final Four that she gave much thought to it. During her trip, Hebert-Truax was at a ceremony in which coaches were presented plaques for their 300th win, 400th win or even 500th victory.

“That’s kind of where it came from,” Hebert-Truax said. “I’d never really thought about it.”

When she returned home, Hebert-Truax started looking through old records and saw just how many victories she has amassed during her long tenure with the program. Now, Hebert-Truax, in her 20th season as Wasilla’s head coach, is the first girls basketball coach in the state to hit 400 wins.

“It’s pretty sweet,” she said. “It’s a huge accomplishment.”

Hebert-Truax was quick to credit all of those who have been with her throughout her 20 years with the program — the athletes, administrators and coaches who have served in her staff. One in particular, Karissa Rollman, has been key to her collective success as a head coach, Hebert-Truax said.

“We both keep each other excited about coaching basketball,” Hebert-Truax said of Rollman, an assistant on the staff for more than 10 years. “Even in our down times. Some people don’t think we have down times, but we do. We’ve been able to keep each other going. We’re having fun 98 percent of the time, having fun, enjoying what we do.”

The connection between Hebert-Truax and Rollman has been vital, Hebert-Truax said, and the consistency has helped the team continue to have success.

“The first eight or nine years I was coaching, every two years we were switching (junior varsity) coaches,” Hebert-Truax said.

With Rollman, Hebert-Truax said there is consistency in what’s expected throughout the entire program.

“We have talent. But if you’re not willing to work hard, the talent doesn’t stay around,” Hebert-Truax said.

And it took plenty of hard work to get the program to where it is today.

“My first four to five years, it was such a struggle. My record during those years was horrendous. I won like seven games one year, five another year,” she said.

But the program took a significant step during the 1999-2000 season.

“All the sudden, we really turned it around. My fifth season, we finally had a winning record,” Hebert-Truax said.

Before long, Wasilla became an Alaska girls basketball power. Hebert-Truax guided the Warriors to the state title game in 2002. Wasilla finished as the state runner-up in both 2002 and 2003. In 2007, Hebert-Truax won her first state title as a head coach. Hebert-Truax led her team to another state title in 2011, the first of three straight state championships for the Warriors.

Hebert-Truax also enjoyed a stretch during her coaching career in which she led the Warriors to 100 straight Northern Lights Conference wins. The streak started Feb. 16, 2001 and continued into the 2007-2008 season.

As of Wasilla’s 65-22 victory over Soldotna Friday night, Hebert-Truax stood at 406 career victories, all with the Warriors. Hebert-Truax stands at the top of a list of Alaska girls basketball head coaches that includes former Colony High head coach Don Witzel, who finished with 308 victories in his 15 years with CHS. Former East Anchorage head coach Dorena Bignham had 280 career victories in 15 seasons.

Coincidently, Palmer High School girls basketball head coach Lyle Busbey won his 200th career game as a PHS head coach on Thursday, the same night Hebert-Truax was honored for her 400th.

The 400-win milestone as a head coach is part of a long list of accolades for Hebert-Truax.

Hebert-Truax stands as one of the most recognized athletes in Alaska history. She was a member of four state championship girls basketball teams in high school, two with North Pole and two with Monroe Catholic. She also helped her volleyball team win a state championship.

Hebert-Truax played college basketball at Division I Miami (Fla.), and finished her career ranked second in program history in assists (694), third in scoring (1,766 points) and fourth in steals (237). She also helped the Hurricanes earn their first berth into the NCAA Tournament in 1989.

She’s a member of the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame, the ASAA Hall of Fame, the University of Miami (Fla.) Hall of Fame and was named an all-time Legend by the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Overall, Hebert-Truax is proud of her 400 wins, and that she was able to earn all of the victories at Wasilla High.

“Not quite Coach K,” Hebert-Truax joked, referring to the 1,000-win milestone recently reached by longtime Duke University men’s basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.

She said she’s enjoyed hearing from everyone who has congratulated her.

“It’s exciting. People are congratulating me. Some of the people have been in the program with me and are proud to be a part of it, want to see it keep going,” Hebert-Truax said.

So, how long does Hebert-Truax want to keep going?

“I don’t really have a goal. As long as I keep enjoying it. As long as my buddy Rollman is with me, who knows how long I go,” Hebert-Truax said.