Henry Daily Herald

Special Ashley Maddox has moved from assistant coach to head girls basketball coach at Woodland.

Ashley Maddox has been through the one-and-dones with the Woodland girl’s basketball team as an assistant coach.

Now, he wants to take the Lady Wolfpack to the next step as their head coach.

Maddox was promoted recently following the departure of coach Thomas McLaurin, who started Woodland’s program when the school opened in 2007.

In that time, McLaurin nurtured the Lady Wolfpack through their inevitable growing pains. Woodland went 6-21 in 2008-09 and 9-18 in 2009-10.

But, talent developed, and McLaurin leaves after leading the Lady Wolfpack to their second consecutive state tournament appearance.

Those were quick appearances. Woodland lost both times to superior No. 1-seeded teams — 65-35 to Class AAAA quarterfinalist Warner Robins in 2011, and 59-38 to semifinalist Jonesboro this past season.

Maddox wants to change that.

“I know the girls, and I know their expectations,” Maddox said. “I don’t want to go into state as a four seed. We want to try to get a one or two seed. Winning the region is definitely within our expectations.”

Maddox has been a varsity assistant and the junior varsity head coach the past two seasons. He was the ninth grade boy’s basketball coach the previous six years at Lovejoy.

And he likes what he sees in his roster for this season. Maddox said the Lady Wolfpack should have a good mix of experience — led by rising seniors Morgan Jones, Lindsey Reed and Nicole Findura — and young talent coming up from the program’s successful junior varsity program.

“I’m not taking over a rebuilding team,” he said. “I’m taking over a team that’s got a promising future, and a promising immediate future.”