Russellville High School has selected Orlando Hayden to be their next Head Girls Basketball Coach. Coach Hayden, a familiar name in 4th Region girls basketball, has nearly 20 years of combined coaching experience with assistant coaching stops at Glasgow High School for both the boys and girls programs, Hopkins County Central, and Warren East.
Hayden was also an interim head coach on the boys side for the Caverna Colonels during the 2014-15 season where he led the team to a 21-6 record and 18th District Championship.
After serving as an Assistant Coach on the boys side at Warren East for two seasons, Hayden took over the Warren East Lady Raider program in 2017 and was tasked with rebuilding a program that had won 14 games total in three prior seasons. In his first season at the helm, Hayden’s team finished with an 18-13 record and, for that success, Hayden was named the 2017-18 4th Region Girls Basketball Coach of the Year. Hayden and the Warren East administration would agree to part ways after the 2019 season
Hayden moved on to assist with the Glasgow High School girls basketball program for one season before deciding to step away from the game to refresh and recharge.
,On the hire, Principal Rex Booth said “We are very excited to bring in a high caliber individual with Coach Hayden’s experience to lead our program. I have known Coach “O” for a long time, so when the position came open a few weeks ago, Orlando was one of my first calls. As a committee, we knew we needed a coach that would be in it for the long haul, be someone our kids would want to play for, and be an individual that would fit right into our community. Orlando checks all of those boxes.”
“I’m super excited about being named the Russellville Lady Panthers Head Basketball Coach,” Coach Hayden said. “There is so much talent here and I can’t wait to get started! To the fans, get your popcorn and your soft drink and be ready to brace yourself for what you are about to witness from the Lady Panthers!”
Coach Hayden will be introduced to the team, parents, and community members after the KHSAA Dead Period which runs through July 9. The Dead Period is an annual mandated time for middle and high school teams to stop all activity and take a break from their respective sports. During the dead period, school facilities are closed to any KHSAA affiliated activities and coaches are not allowed to have contact with their players.