Aaron Key has been a familiar face at PHS, from being the first winner of Mr. PHS in 2013 to his teaching experience across a wide array of classroom environments. Key’s skills have proven to be versatile. One of these skills, in particular, is coaching. Key has previously coached the boys’ basketball teams, but this fall, Coach Key will take on the new role of coaching the Lady Rams.
Key was hired to a two-year contract as the head coach on May 12. To prepare for the 2025-2026 athletic season, Key traveled to play in many tournaments and attended a team camp at Indiana Wesleyan University.
“It’s different because I’ll be coaching girls for the first time after helping with the boys for the past nine years. However, I will be approaching it the same way as I did with the boys. We will work to get better each and every day in practice and transfer the things we worked on to games. We will emphasize togetherness, toughness, and discipline to work as ONE unit toward a common goal. The girls will be held to high expectations on and off the court as we represent our school. I think it will go well. I came into this with a very positive mindset in hopes of building the girls’ basketball program from the ground up. The girls were very enthusiastic and put in a lot of work with workouts and games during the month of June,” said Key.
Over the course of the summer, the team came together and practiced under the guidance of Key, with the assistance of coaches Karson Key, Stacy Ochs, and Mike Smith. This was a learning experience for both the team and the coaches, as they adapted to a system and practice pacing that would remain consistent throughout the season.
“We emphasized practicing how we want to play so it will translate to in-game situations. We spent time learning new offenses, defenses, and working on our fundamentals. I’m really excited for this opportunity to coach the girls, and I’m looking forward to what we can accomplish together as a team,” said Key.
Even with a summer full of preparation and anticipation, the team plans to further sharpen its skills before the start of the season. The girls’ first practice will be on Monday, October 20. Soon after, the girls will have their first scrimmage against North Harrison on Thursday, October 30.
