After countless reps, drills, and even a run at a state title, girls’ basketball coach Michael Blakely has decided to pass the whistle on and step away from the program he’s cultivated over the past five years.
Blakely’s coaching journey started in 2019 when he kicked off the season in an athlete-parent meeting. Hoping to ensure a strong team culture moving forward, he learned all he could about the program and took the advice of his varsity upperclassmen on what practices and games should look like. Blakely immediately felt welcomed into the program.
“I knew I would love it immediately because it’s a big job,” he said. “I wanted to be good at it, partly because I’m competitive, and partly because I feel like I owe it to the school.”
After five years of coaching, Blakely decided his time with Monarch girls’ basketball had ended.
“I figured I’d done it for five years, had a blast, and at some point, I’m no longer going to be a teacher,” Blakely said. “So at some point, I’m no longer going to be a coach. I felt like it was time to be done when [head coaching] felt like it was too big and busy of a job.”
Blakely is not done with basketball or coaching—he’s only leaving his head coaching role.
“I could see myself coaching near my house, to stay involved in coaching with high school students and people who are interested in being athletic,” he said.
Blakely will continue to cheer the girls on from the stands, wishing them the best of luck this season.
“I don’t think I’ll ever lose my love of basketball or my love of Monarch,” he said.
Blakely and current head coach Kincaid Bimler first met in 2019, Blakely’s first year coaching at Monarch. The team was 8-0 going into the game, and when the buzzer went off, the game was tied, sending the teams into overtime.
Monarch’s girls lost on a last second three-pointer to Bimler’s former team, Chatfield.
“I think we were down most of that game, and then we had the ball with a couple of seconds left on the sideline,” Bimler said. “We called a timeout. We drew up a play, and it didn’t work super well. They did a good job defending it, but we ended up getting the ball in.”
Bimler has been coaching with Colorado Premier Basketball Club for five years and is a coordinator of the girl’s program. He resigned from Chatfield in 2022 and has been looking for a suitable coaching opportunity since then.
“I’m extremely excited about my time at Monarch, and I believe the program is in great shape,” Bimler said. “I hope that every player in the program has a great experience with the sport. I’m very proud of the coaching staff I have established.”
