PITSBURG – Abbey Moore, a Franklin Monroe alum, teacher and head Lady Jets basketball coach has been named the Jets’ new athletic director.
“I am very excited for this position,” Moore said. “I feel like it’s an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.”
Moore, the mother of three will be leaving the classroom to fill the full-time position while continuing to head up the Lady Jets basketball program as the head coach.
“When this opening became available a couple years ago, I still had a couple young kids at home and I didn’t feel like it was time for that commitment. Now that my kids are a couple years older and I know they can be here with me, and at events, I feel like it is time for it.”
Moore took over the Lady Jets basketball program beginning with the 2015-16 season and immediately began to turn the program around after a dismal 2-21 first season mark, a record that can lead to questions.
“There is going to be a period wherever you’re at – you have to get used to it,” explained Moore. “Here at Franklin Monroe that turnaround happened real quick and I was very excited about that. I didn’t necessarily see that coming that quick, but that just goes to show what kind of kids we have here, how willing and open they are to new things and they accepted my philosophy right away.”
“I look back at those first couple groups that I had,” Moore continued. “Without them, where we are today wouldn’t be possible. For them to accept my philosophy and what I wanted to do was the start of it al. The groups that have come through and the group that I have now, they are all phenomenal and I haven’t had hardly one issue socially or discipline wise with my groups. It just goes to show the kind of kids that we have here.”
The Franklin Monroe girls played to a 14-10 record in Moore’s second season at the helm and improved to 21-4 the 2017-18 season and finished with a 19-7 record this past year giving Moore a 72 percent winning percentage over the past three years leading the Lady Jets basketball program.
Moore and her husband Chase are the proud parents of three children, Lilly, turned eight this past Sunday, August 4th. Soon to be 6-year old Navie who will attend kindergarten this fall and 2-year old Toby is well on his way to learning the ins and outs of a gym rat.
With a husband along with three children under 10 years of age, Moore views the new position as a positive for her family.
“When I decided I wanted to be a mom, one of my big things was to have my kids be gym rats,” Moore stated. “It is how I was raised and I think it teaches you a lot of lessons. I have to thank my husband for him allowing me to do this and for working together and making it work. He’s my rock at home and my support system – I couldn’t do it without him.”
Many long hours come with an Athletic Director’s position, a responsibility Coach Moore understands and is ready to accept.
“When an individual comes into this position maybe they are unsure of what all it entails,” Moore said, “but so far my five year teaching career hear at Franklin Monroe, I was spending all day here in the classroom and it seems no matter what I do, I’m going to put that time investment into it.”
“I care about this school so much – I graduated from here and have a lot of pride,” added Moore. “I want to do whatever I can to help this school and help this community. This was a great opportunity for me to step it up.”
