By Greg James | [email protected]

Hunter High School has announced the hiring of its new girls basketball coach—Emily Brough Walters. Wolverine athletics have been a big part of her family's lives.

“It is fantastic to be here, and I am super excited to be back where I came from,” Brough Walters said. “To be back on the court is special. I was trying to tell the girls today that this is where you are from and a lot of neat things happen when you play sports where you live.”

She graduated from Hunter in 1998 and played both basketball and soccer at the school. She also had two brothers and two sisters that played on the Wolverine's hardwoods.

“Ryan, Tyler, Jen, and Sarah all played here. Laura and Blake were the only ones that didn’t. Although Blake may have been our family's best athlete,” she said.

Her parents, Susan and Dave, might find themselves back in the bleachers cheering her on again.

After her high school graduation, Brough Walters played basketball collegiately at Southern Virginia University and, after a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, she transferred to Southern Oregon University. She earned a bachelor of science degree in health and physical education.

She first took a job in Eureka, California teaching health and physical education and was the girls varsity head coach. After three years she returned to Utah and spent part of a season as an assistant coach at Skyline High School.

The success that Hunter has had recently is something she wants to continue.

“I expect these girls to believe in themselves and know that they are going to have a great season. We can go far. The team has been region champs, and we have a really good team. We just need to take it a step further,” Brough Walters said.

Hunter finished last year 9-3 in the UHSAA Region 2. They tied with Cyprus for the region championship. Their season ended in the first round of the state playoffs after losing to Corner Canyon 67-33.

Cameron Gardner was the head coach from 2016 to 2022. He amassed a 57-80 overall record and won three region titles.

“We are going to be on the map. People are going to know Hunter,” Brough Walters said. “I will have to earn the trust of these girls. Some of the kids are unsure when there is a coaching change. We will get the girls to come out. I just think the big thing about being back here is Hunter has athletes that really need to be seen. They don’t get the recognition that some schools get.”

The new coaching staff includes Katrena (Ellett) Wilson and Penny (Jones) Weaver. Wilson was an all-state player from Cyprus High School. She played for the University of Utah both in volleyball and basketball. Weaver also played at Cyprus and at Lipscomb University.

They will have open gyms Monday through Thursday throughout the summer.

“We have some fantastic coaches. I think they both were some of the best post players in the local game. Our team will have an inside game. It will be our focus. I think this team has some size that we can work with. We will also play tough defense and old-school basketball,” she said.
“We want this to be a program that for years to come people want to come here and be a part of.”