Taylor is new Cashion girls basketball coach

Cashion didn’t go far to find its next girls basketball coach.

In fact, it just moved one spot down the bench.

Andrea Taylor was promoted from assistant coach to head coach of the Cash-ion girls program Monday morning, it was announced by Superintendent Sammy Jackson.

“She’s not only been a successful assistant coach here, but in several other places,” Jackson said of Taylor.

“She’s got a great rapport with players and students alike. We couldn’t be more excited to have her running our program.”

Taylor just wrapped up her fifth season as a Cash-ion assistant. The first three were with Ronnie Maple as head coach and the last two with Totsy Manning.

Taylor was also an assistant girls basketball coach at Kingfisher High School from 2007-13.

“I am excited for the opportunity and am looking forward to continuing the tradition of Cashion girls basketball,” Taylor said.

Manning announced her retirement from coaching at the end of the 2019 season, wrapping up a 22-year career that included three state championships at Deer Creek.

Cashion was the 2A state runner-up in 2018, Manning’s first season, and finished 16-11 in 2019.

Manning’s oldest child, Sydney, is currently a freshman at Missouri State, which reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament with Monday night’s 69-60 upset of Iowa State.

Watching Sydney and her son, Mason, a Cashion freshman, compete in their respective sports was at the forefront of Totsy stepping away from her coaching career.

“I want to watch Sydney more often from the stands and sit back and watch Mason more,” she said. “That’s something I’ve never been able to do, so I want to enjoy that while I can.”

Manning is staying at Cashion as the dean of students.

“We’re going to use her more for curriculum development, which she’s really good at,” Jackson said. “A lot of people know how great she is as a coach, but she’s equally valuable on the education side.

“We’re really glad she’s staying on.”

Manning said she supports Taylor getting her first shot as a head coach.

“She will be a rock star; she’s way more than ready to be a head coach,” Manning said. “This is a great opportunity for her to continue what she’s already been a part of at Cashion.”

Cashion has gone 119-28 (.810) in the five years with Taylor as an assistant.

This 2019 season, during which the Lady Wildcats were eliminated in a 2A regional, was the first one during that stretch in which Cashion didn’t reach the state tournament.

The Lady Wildcats were state runners-up in 2016 and 2018, quarterfinalists in 2015 and semifinalists in 2017.

“She’s also an excellent classroom teacher,” Jackson said of Taylor, who teaches high school English. “We feel we’ve got the complete package with her and the fact that there will be very little transition is an added bonus.”

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[Photos by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]