'Ready to lead a program again': Jamie Hill Combs set to replace Brian Lester as Tuttle girls basketball coach

TUTTLE — Jamie Hill Combs didn't hesitate when she saw the Tuttle girls basketball position become available.

"I knew right away that was a school and community I wanted to put my name in for," Combs said.

Brian Lester took over as Tuttle's athletic director before the season and realized he was getting pulled in several directions handling both positions. He soon realized he didn't feel like he could perform both jobs at the highest level and decided to step down shortly after Tuttle's state championship appearance in March.

A few weeks later, Combs received a phone call from Lester offering the job.

"With no hesitation, I accepted," Combs said.

Pending board approval, Combs will be Tuttle's new head girls basketball coach, Lester confirmed with The Oklahoman on Thursday. Lester, who guided Tuttle to a 73-10 record over the past three years and its first girls basketball state championship in 2021, is more than happy with Combs taking the reins.

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Lester first met Combs when they were both coaching the All-State volleyball game a few years ago. Since then he's followed her career.

"Jamie was on my shortlist," Lester said. "I had a shortlist of about five over the last year thinking, 'If I were to ever get out, these are the people I think I'd like to contact and talk to them about our basketball job.'

"When we brought Jamie in, she just checked all the boxes."

Combs is a defensive-minded coach who looks for her team's defense to create its offense, a style Tuttle has nearly perfected over its last three years. Combs is also an experienced coach who's proven she can succeed as the leader of a program and she specifically asked for her planning period to be scheduled during middle school basketball events so she can be involved with the younger group.

"I really enjoy the smaller school community," Combs said. "And so, I've just kept my eye on different jobs to see what might open up."

Combs has served as a head coach at Tulsa Union, Piedmont and Berryhill. She moved to Mustang after getting married. Combs has served as the Mustang girls assistant basketball coach for the past two years, helping the Broncos to a state tournament appearance in March.

The timeliness of Lester's departure has much to do with his job as the athletic director, but he also wanted to give the next coach a head start with the talent Tuttle will have returning next season.

On Monday, he introduced Combs to the team.

"I've been blessed here at Mustang," Combs said. "I've loved working with Katie (Bass Smith) and all of our staff here. But I definitely felt ready to lead a program again. I'm just so excited!"

James D. Jackson covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for James? He can be reached at jjackson@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @JamesDJackson15. Support James' work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school basketball: Tuttle tabs Jamie Hill Combs as coach