Photo courtesy of UAB Athletics
Kayla Alexander has been on the UAB women's basketball staff for the last nine years. Photo courtesy of UAB Athletics.
Kayla Alexander is eager for the next step in her coaching career.
She was approved Monday evening as the next girls basketball coach at Hewitt-Trussville High School, taking over a program that has become one of the state’s best.
Alexander comes to Hewitt-Trussville from UAB, where she has been on the women’s basketball staff for the last nine years. She’s done a little bit of everything, starting her time at UAB as a student manager before spending five years as Director of Basketball Operations and the last four as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator.
She takes over following Tonya Hunter, who recently stepped away from coaching to take a position as assistant athletics director at Hewitt-Trussville. In 11 seasons, Hunter bolstered the Lady Huskies program, becoming the winningest coach in program history and leading the program to the state runner-up trophy three times.
The culture Hunter has cultivated in Trussville fits right in with what Alexander hopes to do once she hits the ground running.
“I’m a fierce competitor,” Alexander said. “We have a group of girls that wants to win, and to win each day is the mantra.”
"This is a fantastic hire that will help Hewitt-Trussville girls basketball continue to be one of the most dynamic programs in the state. I look forward to watching Coach Alexander push the program to new heights,” Hunter said in a release.
Alexander and her husband, Tim, moved to Trussville a few years ago, so having already planted roots in the community as she takes this job is a big deal.
“It was a no brainer, and we have loved living here and made great relationships,” she said. “It’s an opportunity to fully immerse ourselves into the Husky family and tradition.”
Alexander is thankful for the opportunities UAB head coach Randy Norton provided Alexander and the rest of the Blazers’ coaching staff over the years. She is excited to implement the things she’s learned being around the college game into her new role at the high school level.
“I’ve learned how to win, how to handle adversity, life lessons that transcend the game. I’ve learned the ins and outs of running a program,” she said.
But the thing Alexander is most passionate about is the role she will play in molding her student-athletes on and off the court.
“I’m in coaching to impact lives, and that’s a focal point of why I do what I do,” she said. “You can learn a lot through basketball. You can impact and teach life lessons, as it’s done for me.”
"I am excited to have Coach Alexander on board to lead our girls basketball program,” Athletics Director Lance Walker said. “She has been part of every facet of the UAB program over the last decade and she has great experience. She is a resident of Trussville and I am confident she will have a positive impact on the girls in our community. We are excited to support her and the program."
Alexander is a native of Dayton, Ohio, and played one season at Eureka College before heading to UAB as a student manager in 2013. She has young twins, Noah and Noelle, and her husband is a nationally-known inspirational speaker.
