Mark Cornelius enjoys return to Mountain Brook
Rubin E. Grant, Birmingham News, January 25, 2012 8:58 a.m.
Kaki Simpson was somewhat apprehensive about the final season of her basketball career at Mountain Brook High School.
The reason for her anxiety was a coaching change last summer. Kevin Tubbs, who had coached Simpson during her first three seasons, left Mountain Brook to become the athletics director for Homewood schools. He was replaced by Mark Cornelius, who had coached the Mountain Brook boys basketball team from 1998 to 2008 before leaving to coach the boys team at Gardendale for three seasons.
“I thought it would be a big change,” said Simpson, a 5-foot-9 forward who is the Spartans’ lone senior. “I was scared about that. I also wondered whether he would treat the girls like boys. I was scared about that, too. But he has been really nice to us. The way we play is pretty similar, so that hasn’t changed much.
“They are definitely different coaches with different tactics and a different approach. I thought it would be a lot of different, but I have loved the way the season is going and playing for Coach Cornelius.”
What’s not to love? The Spartans headed into their game Tuesday night at Vestavia Hills with an 18-6 overall record and 3-1 record in Class 6A, Area 12. The team’s only area loss was 64-56 to Spain Park on Friday. Mountain Brook will play at Homewood this Friday.
When Cornelius was the Spartans’ boys coach, he averaged 20 wins per season, led them to five regional appearances and a Final Four berth in 2001. His 2005 team won 28 games, which set a school record. He left as the Spartans’ winningest boys head coach.
Cornelius is enjoying his return to Mountain Brook as the girls coach.
“It’s been fantastic, a good change of pace for me,” Cornelius said. “It’s a different world, not so much with the X’s and O’s, but you have to have a different demeanor and you have to explain things differently.
“The girls play so hard. It’s not because of me.
“After talking to Kevin, I thought we would be pretty good, but until you know what everybody else has you’re not exactly sure how good.”
The Spartans are led by sophomores Collier Ogilvie and Mary Katherine Pinson and junior Ellie Mouyal. The trio is scoring in double figures.
“Mary Katherine is very talented,” Cornelius said. “She’s our leading scorer. Collier is our best post player. She wants to play college ball, so we’re trying to expand her game. In college she probably will have to play small forward and she’s always played power forward or center. We’re letting her face the basket more, so it’s been a little bit of a transition year for her and that’s why her numbers are a little down.
“Ellie is our best athlete. She runs and jumps and does a lot of things for us.
“We have got some other girls who are good role players. We’ve got a lot of depth. We play 10 or 11 girls.”
Cornelius mentioned Simpson and sophomore Dani Diehl, who round out the starting five, and valuable sub Annabelle Friedman, a junior.
“Kaki has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and she can finish when she gets the ball inside,” Cornelius said. “Dani is one of those players who is a coach’s dream. You can tell her something one time and she goes out and does it. We’re trying to get her to score more. She’s so unselfish she doesn’t look to score. She’s more interested in getting other people involved.
“Annabelle is our sixth man and a defensive stopper. She doesn’t mind being physical. She’s always going full speed.”
As the only senior, Simpson is the team leader, but it has taken some getting used to.
“Last year when I was a junior, I didn’t have as much of a leadership role even though we had only one senior then,” Simpson said. “It seems weird this year because we have all been on the same team the last three years. They are not used to me bossing them around, so we don’t yell at each other. I figured the best way to lead is through example. I try to listen to the coach and do what he says and try to get them to do the same.”
The reason for her anxiety was a coaching change last summer. Kevin Tubbs, who had coached Simpson during her first three seasons, left Mountain Brook to become the athletics director for Homewood schools. He was replaced by Mark Cornelius, who had coached the Mountain Brook boys basketball team from 1998 to 2008 before leaving to coach the boys team at Gardendale for three seasons.
“I thought it would be a big change,” said Simpson, a 5-foot-9 forward who is the Spartans’ lone senior. “I was scared about that. I also wondered whether he would treat the girls like boys. I was scared about that, too. But he has been really nice to us. The way we play is pretty similar, so that hasn’t changed much.
“They are definitely different coaches with different tactics and a different approach. I thought it would be a lot of different, but I have loved the way the season is going and playing for Coach Cornelius.”
What’s not to love? The Spartans headed into their game Tuesday night at Vestavia Hills with an 18-6 overall record and 3-1 record in Class 6A, Area 12. The team’s only area loss was 64-56 to Spain Park on Friday. Mountain Brook will play at Homewood this Friday.
When Cornelius was the Spartans’ boys coach, he averaged 20 wins per season, led them to five regional appearances and a Final Four berth in 2001. His 2005 team won 28 games, which set a school record. He left as the Spartans’ winningest boys head coach.
Cornelius is enjoying his return to Mountain Brook as the girls coach.
“It’s been fantastic, a good change of pace for me,” Cornelius said. “It’s a different world, not so much with the X’s and O’s, but you have to have a different demeanor and you have to explain things differently.
“The girls play so hard. It’s not because of me.
“After talking to Kevin, I thought we would be pretty good, but until you know what everybody else has you’re not exactly sure how good.”
The Spartans are led by sophomores Collier Ogilvie and Mary Katherine Pinson and junior Ellie Mouyal. The trio is scoring in double figures.
“Mary Katherine is very talented,” Cornelius said. “She’s our leading scorer. Collier is our best post player. She wants to play college ball, so we’re trying to expand her game. In college she probably will have to play small forward and she’s always played power forward or center. We’re letting her face the basket more, so it’s been a little bit of a transition year for her and that’s why her numbers are a little down.
“Ellie is our best athlete. She runs and jumps and does a lot of things for us.
“We have got some other girls who are good role players. We’ve got a lot of depth. We play 10 or 11 girls.”
Cornelius mentioned Simpson and sophomore Dani Diehl, who round out the starting five, and valuable sub Annabelle Friedman, a junior.
“Kaki has a knack for being in the right place at the right time and she can finish when she gets the ball inside,” Cornelius said. “Dani is one of those players who is a coach’s dream. You can tell her something one time and she goes out and does it. We’re trying to get her to score more. She’s so unselfish she doesn’t look to score. She’s more interested in getting other people involved.
“Annabelle is our sixth man and a defensive stopper. She doesn’t mind being physical. She’s always going full speed.”
As the only senior, Simpson is the team leader, but it has taken some getting used to.
“Last year when I was a junior, I didn’t have as much of a leadership role even though we had only one senior then,” Simpson said. “It seems weird this year because we have all been on the same team the last three years. They are not used to me bossing them around, so we don’t yell at each other. I figured the best way to lead is through example. I try to listen to the coach and do what he says and try to get them to do the same.”
