After eight seasons, Jansen Locher has resigned as the head coach of the Owensboro High School girls’ basketball team.
Locher had a strong final two seasons at the helm. In the 2023-24 campaign, the Lady Devils beat Owensboro Catholic 61-54 to win the school’s first 3rd Region Championship in more than 30 years and advance to Rupp Arena for the state tournament. This season, they finished 15-9 before losing to Daviess County in the first round of the 9th District Tournament.
Locher decided now was the time to step away, saying the move was a tough one.
“It was a hard decision to make because of how much I care about the program, players, families, and everyone involved in it,” Locher said. “But at the end of the day, I had to make a decision that was best for me and best for my family. My family deserves all the time and energy I can give them. I made that choice, and I am confident that the program is in a place now where someone can come in now with fresh ideas and keep building off of what we built.”
Locher took over as head coach at the start of the 2017-18 season, finishing with an 8-19 record before leading the team to vast improvement over the following years. Over his tenure, Locher accumulated a record of 106-118, reaching back-to-back 3rd Region Championship appearances in 2022 and 2023.
“There were times when days and seasons seemed to drag a bit when we were building the program up and weren’t winning a ton of games,” Locher said. “But as I sit and reflect on it now, time flew. I remember the early days of coaching and being at practice and the energy and enthusiasm I had when we weren’t even winning games.”
He continued, “We wanted to get interest back in the program and to be excited to play for us. That was something that took time to do, to play the way we wanted to do, but eventually we built it. We felt like girls enjoyed playing for us. We felt like we got the best out of them, they felt respected in our program, and they felt like we loved them. That was what was most important to us.”
Locher had some words of encouragement for whoever his predecessor turns out to be, acknowledging that he will always be there to offer advice.
“I love that program, and I always will,” Locher said. “Those that know me know that I bleed red and black. They just need to take it and give the players the energy and time they deserve. It won’t always be great or easy, but if they stick with it, I think the school will really show them what it is all about.”
