High School

Harvard-Westlake names Will Burr new girls basketball coach

Burr comes to Harvard-Westlake after winning four straight CIF titles at Viewpoint and Oak Park.

Tarek Fattal

Will Burr is the new girls basketball coach at Harvard-Westlake after winning four straight CIF titles at Viewpoint and Oak Park.
Will Burr is the new girls basketball coach at Harvard-Westlake after winning four straight CIF titles at Viewpoint and Oak Park. / Taylor Martinez

The search is over. Will Burr is the new varsity girls basketball coach at Harvard-Westlake in Studio City.

“I am excited to join a program with such a strong tradition of academic and athletic excellence,” said Burr. “I’m looking forward to building on that legacy, guiding our athletes to reach their greatest potential, and competing at the highest level with pride, purpose, and passion.”

After longtime coach Melissa Hearlihy announced her retirement in August of 2024, which came five months after winning a CIF State Division II crown, Harvard-Westlake searched for her replacement. But the process felt rushed. So, instead, boys basketball assistant Alex Nailes was named the interim girls basketball coach for the 2024-25 season.

Nailes did a great job in his first and only year at the helm, going 24-8 and deep into the sectional and state playoffs.

Once the year concluded, Harvard-Westlake's search was reignited which led them to Burr, who is one of the winning girls basketball coaches in Southern California in the last four years.

Burr is 87-32 in his last four seasons as a head coach — all ending in CIF Southern Section championships. The feat is historic, being the first girls basketball coach to win four straight CIF titles with two different programs.

Burr led Viewpoint to a Division 1 title in 2022 before winning three straight at Oak Park in 2023, 2024 and this year's 2025 trophy. Oak Park didn’t just win three straight, the Eagles climbed divisions each time — winning Division 5A, 3AA and 2AA, respectively.

WHO FROM HW IS COMING BACK?

Harvard-Westlake's two top of players, Deana Thompson and Bella Spencer will graduate in a month. However, center Valentina Guerrero and Oyinkansola Iriafen — younger sister of Kiki Iriafen — will return to play for Burr next season.

Juniors-to-be Madison Gillett and Hollen Vann will be top players.

The new, shiny toy for Burr will be incoming freshman Lucia Khamenia, younger daughter of McDonald's All-American and Duke commit Nik Khamenia, who is expected to be a standout player herself.

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Published
Tarek Fattal, SBLive Sports
TAREK FATTAL

Tarek Fattal has been covering high school sports since 2015 in Southern California and primarily in Los Angeles, covering notable athletes such as Bronny James, Kayvon Thibodeaux and Alyssa Thompson. He was with the LA Daily News for eight years, which included being the beat reporter for the UCLA men's basketball team. Tarek can be seen on TV regularly on CBS/KCAL as a sports analyst with Jim Hill.

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