Recent Southeast grad Urhahn takes helm for Chaffee's program

Chaffee High School recently hired a new girls basketball coach to replace Chance White, who resigned in July after four seasons.

Courtney Urhahn has accepted her first high school coaching position. She will lead the Red Devils varsity, junior varsity, and the seventh- and eighth-grade teams.

Urhahn, 23, graduated from Southeast Missouri State in December 2007. She graduated from Jackson High School in 2003.

She said she played soccer at Jackson but did not play basketball in high school.

"This will be my first coaching experience," Urhahn said. "I played sports when I was in college. I was in a sorority, and I played on an intramural team. We played basketball and soccer and softball and all of those kinds of sports. But I think I was willing to coach anything that they were willing to throw my way.

"I've played soccer my whole life and my dad was my coach so I know what it takes to be an athlete, and I know what it takes to be a coach. So I was really willing to coach anything.

"I'm really excited about this," she added. "I can't wait to start."

Urhahn will teach elementary school physical education. She worked as a substitute at both Jackson and Central after graduation.

She said she will be assisted by Jessica Birk, who is finishing her degree at Southeast this fall. Urhahn said Birk has played basketball all her life and she has a great deal of experience with the sport.

"We interviewed four or five people and she [Urhahn] came across as a very enthusiastic young lady," Chaffee athletic director Terry Glenzy said. "That was one [reason]. And of course, they were needing an elementary P.E. teacher, and I think like they felt like she was the most qualified for that, too."

Chaffee finished 11-12 in 2007-08 after winning just five games the previous season. The team had four seniors in 2007-08 but all-conference honorable mention honoree Amber Kirk was a junior.