Saginaw-area girls basketball fans will greet 10 new varsity coaches, who are taking over programs heading into the 2025-26 season.
The season begins Monday, with district tournaments beginning March 2 with the championship games Saturday, March 21, at Michigan State University’s Breslin Center.
MORE: Former Freeland star Taryn Taugher takes over talented Heritage girls basketball program
The new Saginaw-area girls basketball coaches are Taryn Taugher (Heritage), Jill Keefer (Midland Dow), Anwar Jackson (Bridgeport), Kelsey Jones (Carrollton), Mark Townsend (Valley Lutheran), Chazsi Weisenberger (Chesaning), Brandon Weakman (Millington), Eric Krause (Sanford Meridian), Jason DeSmyter (Merrill) and Ashton Cooper (Nouvel CC).
Merrill’s Jason DeSmyter goes for a layup Friday against Bridgeport during the 2000 season.Bernie Eng | MLive.com
Jason DeSmyter, Merrill
Jason DeSmyter is a familiar name to Merrill basketball fans, graduating in 2000 along with twin Josh DeSmyter. Jason DeSmyter went on to play at Spring Arbor before returning to become a boys basketball assistant coach with Rudy Maya.
“I took a break when the girls were born, but when they grew up and played and got interested, I got involved with the youth program,” DeSmyter said. “So far, the girls are positive, doing everything together … things you like to see as a coach.”
Merrill was 14-9 in 2024-25 under Jason Buckley, and the Vandals return star Maddy DeSmyter, Jason’s daughter.
“Not many people know about us, but I’m feel pretty good,” Jason DeSmyter said. “We gained three girls from Ashley as a co-op. They’re pretty good. They’re guards that we needed. We are pretty big, and we have a pretty solid team.”
Jill Keefer, Midland Dow
Jill Keefer, the wife of Northwood University assistant coach Jason Keefer and the mother of former Freeland star Karie Keefer, takes over for Kyle Theisen, who stepped away after going 221-45 in 11 seasons as the Dow girls basketball coach.
Keefer starred for Whittemore-Prescott in basketball, volleyball and softball, playing basketball at Northern Michigan University and Northwood. Keefer earned a spot in the NMU Hall of Fame.
Keefer has coached volleyball and girls basketball at Gladwin and Freeland.
Mark Townsend, Valley Lutheran
Mark Townsend has coached at Valley Lutheran for the past seven years as an assistant boys basketball coach under Joel Erdman and John Mueller. He has also coached at Bay City John Glenn and Faith Lutheran School in Bay City.
“This job opened up, and I thought it was a good fit,” Townsend said. “We’ve got to get some stability and consistency back in the program. We have a good core, from freshman to senior class.”
The Chargers were 11-14 last season under Andrea Johnson.
“I’m very pleased with the numbers … we’re at 20 program-wide,” Townsend said. “We have the talent, athleticism and ability. We’re working to put it all together. It doesn’t happen overnight. The potential is there. We just have to mesh it all together.
“We play a challenging schedule. One of my goals was to play teams that will challenge us but also provide games that could go one way or the other.”
Midland’s head coach Eric Krause watches a play as Saginaw High plays Midland High in the division 1 regional championship game at Heritage High School.Kaytie Boomer | MLive
Eric Krause, Sanford Meridian
Eric Krause, the former Midland High boys basketball coach, returns to the Meridian girls basketball program after serving as its head coach from 1993-96.
“I’ve always been tied into Meridian more than people realized,” Krause said. “I lived in Sanford for 37 yards. I coached the eighth grade kids last year. It’s where I got my start as a coach.
“I went from Sanford Meridian girls basketball to the Saginaw Valley League, facing guys like Jason Richardson and Kelvin Torbert. It took 15 to 16 games to adjust. I left Jack Pine girls, and all of a sudden I’m watching Jason Richardson dunking all over on us.”
Krause, 66, takes over a program that was 23-4 in 2024-25 under Tanner Smith and featured star Halen McLaughlin, who is in her first season at Lake Superior State.
If it wasn’t Meridian, I wouldn’t have kept coaching,” Krause said. “They needed a coach. I liked working with the boys and girls in the eighth grade. I had no reason to say no. I knew the girls.
“I owe a lot to Meridian. I’m ready to go.”
Ashton Cooper is the new Nouvel Catholic Central girls basketball coach.Neil Barris | MLive.com
Ashton Cooper, Nouvel
Ashton Cooper, a former standout at Arthur Hill and Ohio Dominican, returns to the coaching ranks after sitting out the last four years. Cooper was the boys basketball coach at Saginaw Arts and Sciences and the girls coach at Carrollton.
“I know Nouvel struggled with numbers and finished with just seven girls in the program last year,” Cooper said. “But the numbers are heading in the right direction. We had 23 girls at tryouts, so we’ll have a JV team this year too.”
The Panthers were 6-16 last season under Precious Pringle.
“We have to get the culture right and have a positive environment,” Cooper said. “I’m a big culture guy, big on family. We’re going to start from ground zero and get the fundamentals right. For me, that starts at the middle school level.”
The middle school students (grades 6-7-8) are in the same building as the Nouvel high school students.
“We have the luxury where the middle school is in the same building, so I’m involved with the coaching staffs and building a total, complete program,” Cooper said. “Nouvel has a great history and a lot of success.”
Anwar Jackson is the new girls basketball coach at Bridgeport High School.Jeff Schrier | MLive.com
Anwar Jackson, Bridgeport
Anwar Jackson was the Bridgeport football coach from 2013 through 2015 and helped out with the boys basketball program last season. The Bearcats were 8-14 last season under Alton Sanders, who became the varsity boys basketball coach.
“I helped out with the girls a little bit last year,” Jackson said. “It’s been really good coming back. I missed mentoring young people.”
Bridgeport opens the season Monday at Flushing.
“I told the kids that the schedule I set up is not a feel-good schedule,” Jackson said. “We’re trying to find different types of basketball to prepare us for the tournament. We’re going to see different brands of basketball and see different types of officiating.
“We’re going to try to run a little bit. Nobody expects us to shoot well, but we’re working on it. The goal is to play our best basketball at tournament time. That’s how we scheduled it.”
Kelsey Jones, Carrollton
Kelsey Jones is a 2017 graduate of Madison Heights Madison and a special education teacher at Carrollton. She replaces Christopher Jones (no relation) after the Cavaliers went 0-19 in 2024-25.
“We are in our building phase,” Kelsey Jones said. “We’re hitting the fundamentals, and we’re aligning the middle school and high school programs, closing that gap.
“I love a good project. We have a big game with a lot of boys in our youth program, more than girls. We’re doing a lot of teaching for the girls in middle school.”
Jones coached track and field and girls basketball at Madison Heights Madison, and was an assistant at Carrollton.
Chazsi Weisenberger, Chesaning
Chazsi Weisenberger played for Chesaning and former coach Wayne Scanlon, graduating in 2012. She went on to play guard at Kalamazoo Valley Junior College.
“I started playing basketball since I was 8 years old, and I have a strong passion for women’s sports,” Weisenberger said. “We’re going to be competitive. We’re going to play with pressure. Wearing opponents down is our goal.
“We need to get the players to believe in themselves and tech them basic fundamentals. I tell them every day to trust the process. When the girls come together, we’re going to rule the world.”
The Indians were 6-17 in 2024-25 under Brad Henry.
Brandon Weakman, Millington
Brandon Weakman played for Sanford Meridian coach Mitch Bohn in high school, landing a spot on the Muskegon Community College baseball roster after graduating in 2003.
He coached the Millington junior varsity girls basketball team last season, winning 13 games.
“I never coached girls sports, but I jumped into the girls job and absolutely loved it,” Weakman said. “We’re going to bring a little different style of basketball. Controlled chaos. That’s the type of basketball Coach Bohm instilled in me.
“There’s no reason girls can’t play that way. I’ve got a lot of returning players. We don’t have that one player. We have a team a collective group of athletes that complement each other well. It’s going to be tough for teams to key in on a single player.”
The Cardinals were 9-17 last season under Craig Stiff.
Saginaw-Area ScheduleGirls Basketball
Monday
Bridgeport at Flushing
Caro at Birch Run
St. Louis at Carrollton
Ithaca at Sanford Meridian
Chesaning at Hemlock
Montrose at Millington
Michigan Lutheran Seminary at St. Charles
Midland Calvary Baptist at Breckenridge
Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Mayville
Tuesday
Midland Dow at Heritage
Midland High at Flint Powers
Freeland at Saginaw United
Frankenmuth at Portland
Bay City Western at Swan Valley
Alma at Mount Pleasant
Standish-Sterling at Bullock Creek
Reese at Valley Lutheran
Caro at Sandusky
Millington at Harbor Beach
Sanford Meridian at Farwell
St. Louis at Beaverton
Merrill at Midland Calvary Baptist
Essexville Garber at Nouvel CC
Saginaw Arts & Sciences at Unionville-Sebewaing
Wednesday
Birch Run at Genesee
Byron at Coleman
Thursday
Bullock Creek at Beaverton
Reese at Harbor Beach
Brown City at Millington
Ogemaw Heights at Sanford Meridian
Standish-Sterling at St. Louis
Friday
Midland High at Bay City Central
Saginaw United at Davison
Freeland vs. Grandville at Petoskey
Bridgeport at Frankenmuth
Swan Valley at Bay City John Glenn
Birch Run at Durand
Ithaca at Carrollton
Valley Lutheran at Hemlock
New Lothrop at Chesaning
Merrill at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart
St. Charles at Vestaburg
Breckenridge at Montabella
Coleman at Carson City-Crystal
Michigan Lutheran Seminary at Nouvel CC
Saturday
Heritage vs. Detroit Renaissance at Belleville
Midland Dow vs. Utica Eisenhower at Belleville
Freeland at Petoskey
Boys Basketball
Monday
Heritage at Grand Blanc
Pinconning at Bridgeport
Vassar at Birch Run
Harbor Beach at Caro
Hemlock at Reese
Gladwin at Valley Lutheran
Bay City Central at Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Millington at Montrose
Midland Calvary Baptist at Breckenridge
Tuesday
Flint Hamady at Saginaw United
Midland High at Traverse City Central
Traverse City West at Midland Dow
Swan Valley at Bay City Western
Alma at Mount Pleasant
Bay City Central at Carrollton
Otisville-LakeVille at Chesaning
St. Charles at Michigan Lutheran Seminary
Montabella at Ithaca
Merrill at Midland Calvary Baptist
Ashley at Coleman
Wednesday
Gaylord at Freeland
Millington at Frankenmuth
Bullock Creek at Standish-Sterling
Birch Run at Genesee
Vassar at North Huron
Sandusky at Reese
Farwell at Sanford Meridian
Beaverton at St. Louis
Thursday
Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart at Merrill
Montabella at Breckenridge
Vestaburg at St. Charles
Carson City-Crystal at Coleman
Friday
Davison at Saginaw United
Heritage at Midland Dow
Midland High at Bay City Central
Bridgeport at Frankenmuth
Swan Valley at Bay City John Glenn
Alma at Essexville Garber
Ithaca at Carrollton
Beaverton at Bullock Creek
New Lothrop at Chesaning
Birch Run at Durand
Brown City at Caro
Valley Lutheran at Hemlock
Michigan Lutheran Seminary at Nouvel CC
Bay City All Saints at Reese
Farwell at Ogemaw Heights
St. Louis at Standish-Sterling
Saturday
Heritage at Detroit Catholic Central