Georgetown High School’s Rhonda Farney Named High School National Coach of the Year

In her 38th year of coaching girls basketball at Georgetown High School, Coach Rhonda Farney is adding yet another accolade to her resume: Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) High School National Coach of the Year – for the second time in her career.

“Coach Farney is a humble servant in every way, and she leads her program so that every player, from the Freshman B-Team to Varsity, knows they are a valued member of the program,” Georgetown High School Principal Brian Johnson said. “She loves her students and her staff fiercely, wants the best for them, and uses basketball as a metaphor for life, teaching those around her to pursue excellence and to overcome adversity in every aspect of their lives.”

Under the leadership of Farney, her teams have made 36 appearances in the UIL state playoffs, including eight appearances in the state tournament. This year, the Lady Eagles finished their season with a run to the state semifinals and a 34-4 record. With a record of 1,318 victories and 375 losses, Farney leads the state and nation in most career victories as a girls coach. 

In summer 2001, Farney was one of two high school coaches named by the USA Basketball Women’s Collegiate Committee to serve as floor coach for the USA Basketball Women’s Junior National Team Trials in Colorado Springs. And in 2005, she was an assistant coach for the USA Basketball Women’s Youth Development Olympic Festival, where her team won the gold medal.

2025 WBCA High School National Coach of the Year joins a long list of honors for Farney, including the American Statesman Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024, WBCA High School National Coach of the Year in 2017, Texas High School Coaches Association Female State Coach of the Year in 2022, and National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame Inductee in 2023.

“I’ll be forever indebted to the players and assistant coaches who got things going here at Georgetown,” Farney said. “Their legacy is what has endured and allowed us to build something lasting. They are the inspiration for literally hundreds who have come after, and we continue to tell their stories and celebrate their successes through honors like this one.”