Girls basketball: Darcy Kepner steps down after two years as Princeton coach

Darcy Kepner led the Princeton girls basketball team to its winningest two-year stretch in school history.

With the new season just a few weeks ahead, Kepner has elected to step down as coach. She informed the players in a recent team meeting.

“I’m sad to say I’m stepping away from basketball this year to focus on my own mental health and to spend more time with my family,” she said. “Although this was an incredibly difficult decision. This needs to be my priority right now.”

The Tigresses went 21-2 in 2021-22 and then set a school record for wins at 27-5 in 2022-23, good for a combined mark of 48-7 (.872). This tops the previous best two-year record of 45-13 (.776) from 2005-07.

They also won the first conference championships in program history.

Kepner, 25, said she couldn’t have asked for a better run as the Tigresses coach.

I felt so incredibly blessed to lead and love this program the last few years. These girls, their families, and this community have meant so much to me.”

—  Darcy Kepner

“I felt so incredibly blessed to lead and love this program the last few years. These girls, their families, and this community have meant so much to me,” she said. “I can take a step back knowing we gave it our all and left everything on the court to be the best possible basketball team we could be the last two years. I know the future of Tiger basketball is extremely bright. I wish nothing but the best for these girls moving forward.”

Sophomore Camryn Driscoll, who played varsity for Kepner last year, said the team took the news hard.

“Between me and the team there wasn’t a dry eye in the room when we were told Coach Kepner was stepping down,” she said. “She was such an impactful coach for us and she was and is a hard hard worker. I was very surprised, but I completely understand what she’s coming from and I value coach’s decisions greatly. I’m gonna miss her so much as a coach, but I greatly appreciate all the amazing things she’s done for our program.”

Kepner is currently coaching the eighth-grade girls basketball team at Logan Junior High.

PHS Athletic Director Jeff Ohlson said he has posted the position and has had several inquiries.

“As we get applicants, we will review applications, interview, offer, gain an acceptance, and move forward with expectation to have a coach in place for when practice begins,” he said.

The new coach is expected to be named at the next school board meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 25

Former head coach Tiffany Gonigam, whom Kepner played for at BV and succeeded as PHS coach, remains on the staff as a social studies teacher. She told the BCR she is interested in returning and has applied for her old position.

Gonigam resigned in 2021 expecting the birth of her first child, Quimby, just before the start of the new season.

She was head coach at PHS from 2016-21, compiling a 48-73 record, including a 5-5 mark in the abbreviated 2021 spring season, her last year.