Hart High Calls On Old Hand to Coach Girls’ Basketball

Dave Munroe, a former assistant in the Hart High boys’ program, has been named coach of the Indian girls’ basketball team, the Southern Section 5-A Division defending champion.

Munroe replaces Pam Walker, who resigned to become an assistant at UCLA. Walker led the Indians to a 26-3 record, including a 10-0 mark in the Foothill League, and the 5-A title in her fourth season. In her first two seasons, Hart won only one league game.

Munroe, 40, played at Granada Hills High and Cal State Northridge before starting his coaching career at Crespi in 1971. After four seasons coaching the Celt freshman and junior varsity teams, he served as varsity coach for one season.

After a season’s absence from coaching, he joined the Hart staff and served as an assistant to Craig Silsbee and Doug Michelson for five seasons each. He took the next two seasons off from coaching but worked as a scout for Michelson, the Valley College women’s coach.

“Scouting for Doug helped me get familiar with the girls’ game,” Munroe said. “I didn’t realize how much I missed coaching until I was separated from it for the past two years. So I’m anxious to get back.”

Three starters graduated from from last season’s championship team, but senior center Sara Wilson and sophomore point guard Anjanette Dionne return for Hart. Wilson was The Times Valley Player of the Year last season and Dionne was second-team All-Valley.