Girls Basketball: Delaware Hayes Pacers tab Erin Margraf for coaching encore

Delaware Hayes athletics director Steve Glesenkamp sees the return of Erin Margraf as girls basketball coach as a win in several areas.

Margraf has been an intervention specialist at Delaware for 18 years since graduating from the University of Findlay, where she played basketball. She went 75-73 in seven seasons in her first stint with the Pacers.

“Erin teaches in the building, so that is obviously a win for our girls basketball program,” said Glesenkamp, who announced her hiring May 23, pending school board approval. “She also has past head-coaching experience, which is a win for our program. She’s very well connected in the hiring of assistants, which will be a win for the program. We’re adding another female to our coaching staff, which will be a win for our program.”

Margraf will succeed Lou Tiberi, who stepped down after going 68-49 in five seasons. He turned around a program that went through two coaches in four years after Margraf resigned in 2013.

“When coach Tiberi decided to move on, I got involved in the hiring process,” Margraf said. “I started talking to Mr. Glesenkamp a little bit more about what we’re looking for at the high school, options and who was interested.

“I just felt like every time we spoke, I kept thinking that we’re talking about me here. We were looking for somebody in the building, which is a great asset to have. But at the same time, someone that’s interested in the Junior Pacers and someone who’s interested in the development of the younger athletes and someone who’s invested in the program. From day one, the program has meant a lot to me.”

Margraf’s best season in her first stint came in 2008-09, when Delaware won its first 22 games before falling to Pickerington North 56-48 in a Division I district semifinal. She was named OCC-Capital Division and district Coach of the Year.

“She not only has head-coaching experience, but she has middle-school coaching experience,” Glesenkamp said. “She’s worked with our Junior Pacers. Her reputation with all of those different groups is outstanding. We just felt (Margraf) would benefit all of our girls in the basketball program.”

Margraf coached her daughters, Cameron and Ella, on the third-grade team this past season. Cameron is a third-grader at Smith Elementary, and Ella is in second grade. She also has twin boys, Jackson and Dominic, who are finishing up kindergarten.

“The thought (of returning) has been there for a long time,” Margraf said. “I was coaching my daughters with the Junior Pacers and I really enjoyed that. It got me back in the gym and I could be with my family at the same time.

“Things are going to be busy in our life. My husband (Nick) was my biggest supporter as well. I don’t think I would have even considered if he wouldn’t have encouraged me. He said, ‘The time is right, the kids can still go into the gym with me and we’ll figure everything else out.’ ”

Last season’s Pacers finished 21-5, winning their first postseason game since 2013 and reaching a district final as a No. 10 seed before falling to top-seeded and eventual state champion Reynoldsburg 61-38. Delaware had not reached a district final since 1992, when it spent a one-season stint in Division II.

Margraf will inherit a small group of players eligible to return in juniors Sara Dudley, Porter Barickman and Samantha Toney.

“I felt like my last couple of years here (at Delaware), I was a little more business,” Margraf said. “I was X’s and O’s. Every time we came into the gym, we had a job to do. We needed to get better at this, this and this – there was a list. I still think that’s there. I think that I’ve definitely added a little bit more fun to the game and the fundamentals. They don’t realize they’re getting better while they’re getting better.”

The Pacers used just six players in their rotation last season, including 2022 graduates Chloe Jeffers, Sophia Midura and Taylor Shumaker. Jeffers will play at Butler and Midura has committed to Ohio Dominican.

“Coming in, (Margraf) can put her stamp on all three levels with our youth, our middle school and our high school programs,” Glesenkamp said. “I think that’s the biggest win for her.”

mrich@thisweeknews.com

@ThisWeekRich

This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Girls Basketball: Delaware tabs Margraf for coaching encore