Iowa High School Girls Basketball Program Hires New Head Coach

An Iowa high school girls basketball program has a new head coach.

Iowa City Liberty High School announced the hiring of Derek Girling as the new head girls basketball coach in a social media post. Girling replaces Jamie Brandt, who led the Lightning to a 15-8 record this past season and a Class 5A regional runner-up finish.

“Liberty High School is excited to announce Derek Girling as the new Head Girls Basketball Coach, pending board approval,” the Liberty Lightning Athletics X (formerly known as Twitter) account posted. “Coaching Girling brings 10 years of coaching experience (with him to Iowa City Liberty).”

Incredibly excited to be joining the Liberty community. Go Bolts! https://t.co/lMkbyw5Zta
— Coach Girling (@CoachGirling) May 11, 2026

New Iowa City Liberty Head Girls Basketball Coach Was Recently At Cedar Falls

Most recently, Gerling was an assistant varsity girls basketball coach at Cedar Falls, helping the Tigers reach the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 5A State Tournament semifinals in 2024.

With Gerling in charge of the defense at Cedar Falls, the Tigers allowed just 47 points per game, holding eight teams to 40 points or less during the season, including a 35-point defensive performance in the regional semifinals vs. Cedar Rapids Jefferson.

Derek Girling Has Experience As A Head Coach With The Hudson Boys Basketball Program

Gerling also served as the head coach at Hudson with the boys basketball program for two seasons along with three years as the head junior varsity coach and an assistant at Hudson.

A graduate of Cedar Rapids Kennedy, where he competed in four sports for the Cougars, Gerling went on to earn his degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He will be a business teacher at Iowa City Liberty High School in the fall.

Iowa City Liberty Returns Two Main Starters, Handful Of Other Varsity Regulars In 2026-2027

The Lightning are scheduled to return starters Ava Casey and Natalie Schechinger, along with varsity regulars Aubrey Meyer, Brynlie Walker, Morgan Bennett and Olivya Johnson. Both Walker and Bennett started games last season.

Casey, who will be a senior in the fall, had 209 points, 90 assists, 52 rebounds and 23 steals this past season, knocking down a team-leading 52 made 3-pointers. Schechinger, a junior-to-be, scored 151 points with 137 rebounds, 72 assists and 42 steals.

They will be replacing High School on SI Iowa all-stater Natalie Ramsey, who led Iowa City Liberty with 497 points and 249 rebounds last year. The Lightning also graduate Kennedy Goodheart and Madilyn Meyer from the starting rotation.

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