JoVanka Ward approved as Thompson girls basketball coach

Homewood High School head girls basketball coach JoVanka Ward has taken the head girls basketball coaching position at Thompson High School in Alabaster.

Ward was approved by the Alabaster City Schools Board of Education in a meeting on Monday night, making the move official.

"My time at Homewood was incredible," Ward said. "I couldn't have imagined things would've taken off and would've happened the way that they did."

Ward led Homewood to the school's first basketball state championship in 2015 and a 30-4 record. The Lady Patriots reached the title game again in 2016 before falling to LeFlore and finished the season 27-7. Her team held the No. 1 spot in the Alabama Sports Writers Association Class 6A rankings for the duration of the season.

The support from fans and administration both during her time at Homewood made leaving the school tough, according to Ward.

"Homewood City Schools is thankful for Coach Ward's leadership and dedication to our female athletes. She helped lead our Lady Patriots to an unforgettable season, and we wish her all the best in her new position as head coach and girls athletic director responsibilities," said Homewood City Schools Director of Communications Merrick Wilson.

Ward posted an overall record of 94-31 in four seasons at Homewood, beginning in 2013. Prior to coming to Homewood, she made assistant coaching stops at UAB, Howard, Alabama A&M, and Virginia State.

Updated to include comment from Homewood City Schools.