BILLINGS -- Mandy Morales is home again.
The statewide high school and college basketball standout has been hired as head coach of the Huntley Project girls team, the school confirmed to MTN Sports on Tuesday. The hiring was approved Monday night by Huntley Project's school board.
Morales is currently a para-educator in the Huntley Project district and replaces Connor Novakovich after two years of leading the Red Devils. Novakovich teaches health enhancement at the school.
Morales opened her high school career at Huntley Project as a freshman before transferring to Billings West, where she scored more than 1,000 career points and was part of two Class AA state championship teams under coach Kevin Woodin. She earned Montana's Gatorade player of the year honor in 2004 and was named to the Midland Roundtable's Montana All-Star basketball roster after her senior season.
Morales signed to play college basketball at Arizona State but after a summer visit decided to play closer to home and committed to the Montana Lady Griz. Morales was twice named Big Sky Conference player of the year and closed her career second on UM's scoring and assist lists with 1,959 points and 587 assists (tied with Skyla Sisco).
