HELENA — The Helena Capital girls basketball program didn’t have to look far for a replacement.
Nearly a month to the day after MTN Sports broke the news that longtime coach Bill Pilgeram would be leaving the Helena Capital girls to accept the women’s head coaching position at Corban University in Salem, Oregon, Helena activities director Jim Opitz announced Katie Garcin-Forba will take over the Bruins’ varsity program next season.
Garcin-Forba has served as the junior varsity coach at Helena Capital. The hiring must still be approved by the school board.
“I’ve been with Katie Garcin, our junior varsity coach, for six years. Honestly, we’re co-head coaches on the court,” Pilgeram told MTN Sports when asked about his recommendation for the job. “I would have no hesitation thinking there would be a very seamless transition if she were to get the job, which she is interested in, hopefully. I think that would be the most seamless and I know the girls love Katie, they love what she does and I have no doubt they would be in great hands.”
Garcin-Forba moved to Helena from Olympia, Washington in 2010, after playing as a forward at The Evergreen State College. Then Katie Garcin, she averaged 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in two seasons with the Geoducks. She held career highs of 15 points, 12 rebounds and five steals at ESC. She was previously on the women’s basketball team at Lower Columbia College.
She married Matt Forba in the summer of 2017, then served as an assistant coach to Pilgeram in this season’s Class AA fourth-place finish. During her six years with Pilgeram, Helena Capital captured one state championship (2015), a runner-up finish (2013) and three fourth-place finishes.
Garcin-Forba takes over a program that graduated five seniors, including all-state forwards Taylor Sullivan and Kacie Gross. Helena Capital is set to return guards Sydney Sheridan (8.1 points, 2.8 assists per game), Megan Lindbo (5.3 points, 3.4 rebounds) and Emily Kidder (4.8 points, 2.3 rebounds).
