Tillett transitions into new role at Forest Park

By Joe Conroy

Published: March 13, 2008

A streak of five consecutive Group AAA state tournament berths.

Reaching three straight state title games.

And bringing home two championship banners.

That was Chrissy Kelly’s resume at Forest Park, the one Rebecca Tillett knew she would be compared to when she accepted the job as Bruins’ girls basketball coach this summer.

It can be a daunting task, replacing a veritable legend and the only coach the Forest Park program had ever known.

But Tillett wasn’t swayed. She even said in her interview that she felt it was important to always challenge yourself—it’s the only way you improve, she says.

And what better way to push yourself than to follow an incredible first act?

Still, Tillett, who has led Forest Park (25-4) back to the state title game tonight against Heritage (29-2) in Richmond, was in for a bit of a shock when she showed up for summer workouts with the team.

“She was trying to ease her way in,“ long-time Bruins assistant Brian Coleman said. “I don’t know how she was at Osbourn Park, but it was a transition for her to see that there were no off days. Here [at Forest Park] you come to practice and prepare yourself for games with intensity.“

That was the case long before school even started.

“Their intensity is not just in-season,“ Tillett said. “It’s over the summer, in pick-up games.“

Tillett also had to make a quick adjustment to the high expectations the players have for the program.

“You have to ask yourself ‘What is the goal?‘ As a coach or player, you have to ask that,“ Coleman said. “The ultimate goal is to win a championship and we’d say that in practice and she’d shy away from that.

“One day,“ Coleman continued, “I said ‘You can say it.‘ She chuckled. Then she said it.“

Becoming comfortable with expecting that mantle has been a key for Tillett leading the Bruins back to the state finals, their fourth trip to the title game in five years.

Another part of Tillett’s smooth assimilation into the Forest Park family was the retention of Coleman who had been with Kelly since she started the program in 2000.

“When she got the job she called and asked me to stay on as assistant coach. It was really thoughtful,“ Coleman said. “We communicated a lot. The No. 1 thing was she’s let me remain the same type of coach I was with Chrissy.“

It wasn’t just Tillett keeping an assistant coach, though, but how she treated the history the Bruins spent the last seven years building.

Coleman said early on Tillett asked the team which traditions they would like to keep.

“She allowed us to remain who we are,“ Coleman said.

Once she knew how the team wanted to continue, Tillett then added her own style to everything. It was less about putting her stamp on the program, she said, but to supplement everything that has been accomplished already.

“I didn’t want to come in and turn the program upside-down. I told the girls I’m just another piece of the puzzle,“ Tillett said.

“She may have wanted to prove she could lead this team,“ Coleman said. “They just wanted someone to lead them back to a championship.“

Tillett has a chance to do just that as the Bruins battle the Hurricanes for the state crown at the Siegel Center. Heritage defeated L.C. Bird 57-42 in the state semifinal behind Sonia Johnson’s game-high 17 points.

Heritage, like Forest Park on Tuesday in the state semifinals, defeated Princess Anne this year in the Northwest Region final, 52-35.

“They’re certainly a very good team,“ Tillett said. “We got a chance to see them. They have a lot of weapons on both sides of the ball.“