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Alaska Girls Basketball Coaching Legend Retires After 31 Seasons And 640 Wins

Jeannie Hebert-Truax steps away as Alaska’s winningest girls coach, closing a remarkable career defined by championships.
Gary Adornato|
Legendary Wasilla girls' Jeannie Hebert-Truas basketball coach has announced her retirement after 31 season's as the school's head coach.
Legendary Wasilla girls' Jeannie Hebert-Truas basketball coach has announced her retirement after 31 season's as the school's head coach. | Wasilla Girls Basketball

One of the most accomplished careers in Alaska high school sports history has come to a close.

A Brilliant Coaching Era of More Than Three Decades Closes

Wasilla High School girls basketball coach Jeannie Hebert-Truax has officially retired after 32 years with the program, including 31 seasons as head coach, according to original reporting by Frontiersman.com.

For the first time in more than three decades, Hebert-Truax will not be preparing for another season — a reality she described as both unfamiliar and emotional.

“It’s definitely going to be a change… it’s going to be bittersweet,” she said.

Record-Setting Career Defines Alaska Basketball

Hebert-Truax leaves the sidelines as the winningest girls basketball coach in Alaska history, compiling a remarkable 640-214 overall record.

Her dominance extended into conference play, where she posted a 321-88 record and led Wasilla to an incredible 100-game conference winning streak from 2001 to 2008.

Under her leadership, the Warriors became a perennial powerhouse:

  • 17 conference championships
  • 7 state championships
  • 25 conference title game appearances
  • 14 state championship game appearances

From Star Player to Hall of Fame Coach

Long before building a coaching dynasty, Hebert-Truax was one of Alaska’s top players.

She starred at Monroe Catholic and North Pole, winning back-to-back state titles and earning three Alaska Player of the Year honors, according to the Frontiersman.

Her success continued at the collegiate level, where she became an NCAA All-American at the University of Miami and helped lead the Hurricanes to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Her career accolades include induction into multiple halls of fame, including the Alaska Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Miami Hall of Fame.

Program Built on Growth and Relationships

The early years on the sidelines were not easy for Hebert-Truax, but a turning point came during the 1999-2000 season, when Wasilla made a significant leap and reached the state tournament. From there, the program evolved into one of the most consistent winners in the state.

She credited players, assistant coaches and community support for helping sustaining that success.

A Lasting Legacy Beyond Wins

Hebert-Truax’s impact extended far beyond the scoreboard.

The Frontiersman also reported that Wasilla has announced it will honor its longtime coach by naming the school’s basketball court “Coach Hebert-Truax Court,” beginning next season.

Dozens of former players returned to celebrate her final games, a reflection of the relationships built over decades.

With her retirement, Alaska high school basketball loses a transformational figure.

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Gary Adornato
GARY ADORNATO

Gary Adornato is the Senior VP of Content for High School On SI and SBLive Sports. He began covering high school sports with the Baltimore Sun in 1982, while still a mass communications major at Towson University. In 2003 became one of the first journalists to cover high school sports online while operating MIAASports.com, the official website of the Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association. Later, Adornato pioneered market-wide coverage of high school sports with DigitalSports.com, introducing video highlights and player interviews while assembling an award-winning editorial staff. In 2010, he launched VarsitySportsNetwork.com which became the premier source of high school media coverage in the state of Maryland. In 2022, he sold VSN to The Baltimore Banner and joined SBLive Sports as the company's East Coast Managing Editor.

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