Geneva coach Gina Nolan resigns

Updated: April 27, 2011 11:01AM

Gina Nolan quietly resigned from her position as the girls basketball coach at Geneva High School Monday, citing the need to recover fully from a June diagnosis of breast cancer.

“I am doing very well and continue to get better every day, but I felt I needed to put myself and my health first right now,” Nolan said. “With the pace and the rigors of being a head coach, it makes that difficult to do.”

Nolan missed the first part of the regular season as she underwent treatment before returning to lead the Vikings to their third consecutive super-sectional appearance.

After posting a 13-14 record in her first season in 2004-05, the Vikings won at least 20 games every year since. Nolan compiled a 174-37 record, took fourth place in Class 4A in 2009, and had a 57-game regular season game winning streak.

Nolan did not make her decision immediately after the season, but she felt the effects of having to balance teaching, coaching and recovery.

“I had to think about me and that was something, in hindsight, I wasn’t good at doing during the season,” she said. “I just can’t afford not to put myself first with my health for the time being.”

Her decision caught her players off guard, however.

“I thought we forgot to turn in a uniform or something — we had no idea when she called us into her room,” sophomore forward Sami Pawlak said. “We were expecting a little talk, not that she was going to give it up. She just wants to stay healthy.”

Though she will no longer be on sidelines, Nolan looks forward to sitting in the bleachers and watching the Vikings continue on a tradition she began.

“I know she would still love to coach some more and has a lot more years in her,” said senior Kat Yelle, who played for Nolan for four seasons. “But she needs to focus on recovering fully. She definitely turned the program around and was a great coach, no doubt about that. She’ll be missed at Geneva.”

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