Well, that didn’t take long.
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And to tell you the truth, I’m not surprised.
Claire Austin wasn’t just hired by the St. Laurence administration to be the school’s next girls basketball coach, she was essentially hired by the players.
Senior guard Kathleen Martin told me an interesting story Wednesday night about the first time they met her.
“She ran a walk-through practice because we wanted to know what the coaches would be like,” Martin said. “So we interviewed three of them.
“When we did the interview with her, she asked afterward if we had any questions. We all went quiet. We had none. We knew we wanted her to be our coach. She was the perfect match. We all loved her.”
I’m guessing they would run through a wall for her.
Goodness gracious, they certainly played like it Wednesday during a 52-17 victory over Phillips in a summer league game at Marian Catholic in Chicago Heights.
The fast breaks came one after another. There was crisp passing. Finishes at the basket more times than not.
Shockingly well done for a summer scrimmage.
It honestly was like a whirlwind. Sort of how Austin got the St. Laurence gig.
A Marist standout and a four-time NAIA All-American at St. Xavier, Austin was looking at various career options as she was about to graduate as a sixth-year senior.
Then along came St. Laurence.
“I got a text message at the end of March that the coaching job had opened up,” Austin said. “It was kind of a no-brainer for me. I knew I had to at least try to do what I had been planning on doing for my whole basketball career.
“I just ended up getting lucky that the school wanted me.”
Austin graduated May 6 from St. Xavier. She started working May 8 at St. Laurence as a leadership and wellness coordinator.
Crazy, isn’t it?
“It’s definitely crazy,” Austin said. “I couldn’t have drawn it up any better or even thought that it was a possibility to happen this soon.”
But she knew it was coming.
We both did when we talked last November.
Austin was beginning her final season at St. Xavier. A 6-foot guard, she was at the very top of her game, leading the team in both points and rebounds.
Her journey at St. Xavier was a story in itself. But one of the most interesting parts happened when Cougars coach Corry Irvin left just before the 2021-22 season. Austin ran the program until Travis Brewster was hired as the new head coach.
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“I definitely saw the logistics behind everything and how much work coaches put in,” Austin said. “As a player, it gave me a new level of appreciation for the coaches I had in college.”
Austin, who also had experience at the travel level with the Illinois Defenders, said back then that she saw coaching in her future. When I talked to her, Marist coach Renee Chimino all but opened the door for Austin to be on her staff.
But it was St. Laurence that hit the jackpot.
“I couldn’t have done it without any of my mentors,” Austin said. “Travis Brewster, Mary Pat Connolly, Corry Irvin, Bob Hallberg all helped me get to where I am today.”
Austin smiled when I asked how it feels to be a Marist girl helping out a nearby rival.
“I am a Marist girl, but when they offered me the job at St. Laurence, it wasn’t even a question,” Austin said. “I knew St. Laurence was an established place and an established program, and I wanted to be a part of that.
“The love will always be there for Marist, but this is a new journey, a new chapter. I’m ready for it.”