WHERE IT ALL BEGAN: Dugas returns as new PB girl’s basketball coach

The newly named Poplar Bluff High girl’s basketball coach got her first taste of coaching the Lady Mules at the Rib City Shootout.

Poplar Bluff R-1 Superintendent Dr. Aaron Cornman announced last week that Soley Dugas would take the role of head girl’s basketball coach for the Lady Mules during the board of education meeting.

“I'm excited,” Dugas said about stepping into her new role as the head girl’s basketball coach. “I grew up in this program, and it’s just awesome to see so many girls wanting to play the sport. Many of these girls attended the Lady Mules’ basketball camps in the summer, and I remember helping out as a player, so coming back and being the actual coach is just amazing.”

Dugas is a Poplar Bluff alumni that played for the Lady Mules basketball program from 2012-2015, where she started at point by guard her sophomore year and was a four-year varsity letterman.

She has spent the last four years teaching eighth-grade science and as an assistant track and field coach at high school and junior high. Dugas was also an assistant girl's basketball coach during the 2020-2021 season.

Dugas quickly stepped into her new role as she coached the Lady Mules in her first summer game at the Rib City Shootout. Although everything is still fresh, Dugas was proud of how the team went out and competed, but she understands that this year will be a learning process for everyone.

“We haven't really got to do very much over the summer, but I was really proud of the girls,” she said. “The reality is, we haven't got to do a lot, but we can always go out there and play hard, and they did that. It will be a learning process, and I believe the girls are up for the challenge. The most important thing is that they're out there playing hard, willing to learn and be coached to do whatever it takes for us to get better.”

With little time with her new team, Dugas said the biggest thing right now is working hard defensively, trying to force the offense to make mistakes. She believes having a defensive mindset will work well for the Lady Mules until they get some experience during a real game situation.

As Dugas gets prepared for her first season as head coach, her main focus is getting the girls comfortable with working hard and getting after it.

Dugas is a Poplar Bluff alumni that played for the Lady Mules basketball program from 2012-2015, where she started at point by guard her sophomore year and was a four-year varsity letterman. She has spent the last four years as an assistant track and field coach at high school and junior high and also an assistant girl's basketball coach during the 2020-2021 season. D'Courtland Christian/DAR

“I want the girls to get comfortable with being uncomfortable,” Dugas said. “When they’re tired, I want them to still be able to do the little things like move their feet, rebound and block out. I just want them to work hard and get after it defensively each time they step onto the court. That’s my philosophy heading into my first season, and I can’t wait to get started.”

Though she’s only been a coach for a few days, Dugas has expectations for the Lady Mules but understands that success won’t happen overnight.

“I'm excited about the opportunity, and I just really want the girls to come with a good attitude and just be willing to learn and to be coached,” she said. “It's not going to happen overnight. We're going to make mistakes, and we're going to come up short, but as long as they keep good attitudes, and they're willing just to work hard and trust that our hard work will pay off, then that's all I can ask for.”