Since the 2018-2019 season, the current Wes-Del girls’ basketball program record is 22-99. Coaching changes, roster turnover and low participation numbers are just a few of the challenges the athletic department has faced over the last five years.
Athletic director Matt Nuckols knew a major change was needed and needed to be now. The administration began the search for a new head coach with open minds but quickly concluded.
“We had a number of strong applicants to pick from,” he said. “Once we interviewed coach Skaggs, we knew she was going to be a good fit. She had ties here from coaching basketball in the past and had the mentality we were looking for.”
Nuckols credits his work to the support around him at Wes-Del for bringing excitement back to Warriors athletics.
One of the coaches at the forefront of the Wes-Del revitalization is the new head girls' basketball coach Ryleigh Skaggs, a 2023-24 Wes-Del girls' basketball assistant coach.
Nuckols credited Skaggs’ love and excitement for the program to Wes-Del and the girls on the team. He and the rest of the administration thought Skaggs was the perfect fit for the program because of her prior experience coaching under former head coach Ed Geesaman.
“She already had strong relationships with some of our girls from when she was an assistant here under coach Geesaman,” Nuckols said. “We're excited to see her grow the numbers in both our youth and the high school team and bring excitement to Wes-Del girls’ basketball.”
Wes-Del superintendent Kyle Mealy remembers the excitement when hiring Skaggs. He and Nuckols felt they had made the right hire for their program and players.
“We really loved the energy and the excitement she had for our girls and this program,” he said. “She was always positive as an assistant and had that love for these players that we wanted out of a coach.”
Skaggs attended Triton Central High School in Fairland, Indiana, just over an hour south of Muncie. Skaggs then attended Ball State, where she studied at the Teacher’s College and graduated in 2023. She is now a sixth-grade teacher at Wes-Del.
The whole Skaggs family is all in on Wes-Del athletics. Her husband, Austin Skaggs, is an assistant on the Warriors’ football coaching staff. The two were married in April 2024 and have made the Wes-Del community their home.
“When I saw they needed help with football, I mentioned it to my husband, and he gave it a try,” Skaggs said. “We both have been able to make connections at different times at the school — and with so many different people at Wes-Del — and [we] feel like part of the community.”
Skaggs said the Warrior community is home to her and that sense of home has guided her through her first year as a head coach.
“The best part about coaching at Wes-Del is the community of coaches we have,” she said. “They have all been supportive, and they all offer help. It’s a tough position to jump into for my first year, but I have had great support through the start of it from the others involved with Wes-Del [athletics].”
Skaggs also said she thinks her experience with the Wes-Del players has helped boost numbers in the girls’ basketball program. From the elementary to the high school, numbers in the program have skyrocketed for the Warriors.
“With my high school team, I was able to get last season’s girls out to play, and we doubled the number of girls they had on the team last year,” she said. “We are running the normal youth league, and we have about 40 girls from 2nd through 6th [grades who] want to play.”
Nuckols credited this increase to the energy Skaggs displays as a coach.
“The energy and excitement for our girls’ program has been way up this year,” he said. “Our attendance at games has been way up, we have twice the number of high school girls playing and our youth is in full swing.”
Skaggs is coaching a young team this year. With only one senior on the roster, she has had to rely on younger, less experienced players to step up within her program.
“With having seven freshmen and a low number of upperclassmen, this has made some of our freshmen have to step up and take a leadership role,” she said. “Having a young team may be a struggle in the beginning with experiences, but the skill levels are already improving every day with practice.”
One of those young players stepping up for Skaggs has been sophomore guard Caroline Caward. Caward is leading the Warriors in points per game, assists per game, total points and total assists. Junior guard Kayla Harrold also is a leading force on Skaggs’ defense early this winter. Harrold has 10 steals through four games.
Although still early in her head coaching career, Skaggs looks forward to improving the program day by day. She said she knows it will be a challenging task but is ready for that challenge.
Skaggs said she has had heavy influence from her upperclassmen, along with the freshmen who have stepped into larger roles. Skaggs is eager to see them turn the hard work into success for the program.
“The few upperclassmen have set the tone for practices and this year’s games,” she said. “I think we will be making some big moves here soon on the court.”
In her short time with the Warriors, Skaggs’ most rewarding moments come from the players she coached during their middle school years.
“Being able to work with some girls that I had met when they were in seventh and eighth grade has been the most rewarding part,” she said. “It has been amazing to see the progress they have made, and I love seeing the growth these girls have made and continue to have.”
Nuckols said the biggest difference in watching the Warriors this season has been the energy.
“The thing that stands out the most when watching her coach is her energy,” Nuckols said. “She has the bench and coaching staff involved in the action, and they are active the entire game.”
Although the Warriors have gotten off to a slow start this season, Skaggs and her team have begun to pick up wins. The junior varsity team won its first game Nov. 15 against Randolph Southern. Skaggs said she hopes for more excitement to come around her program.
Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or via X @_loganconnor.
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