Columbus North girls junior varsity basketball coach Jocelyn Hamilton calls out instruction to her team in a JV game against East Central at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
When Brett White took over the Columbus North girls basketball program in the spring of 2021, he wanted to get a couple of former Bull Dog players on his staff.
Last year, White brought in former North and Manchester College point guard Jocelyn Hamilton as his JV coach. This year, he’s added another former Bull Dog and Florida Gulf Coast alum in Tayler Goodall.
“That was a goal of mine when I got the job, to try to find some former players that would be good additions to our coaching staff,” White said. “Jocelyn has definitely been a good addition the last couple of years, being our JV coach. To have somebody that played at the college level and also coached at the college level was definitely something that we were excited about. Then, Tayler being able to help us when she’s here this year has been another big addition. To have a former player, but also someone who played in college is a real asset to our coaching staff.”
Hamilton graduated from North in 2011 and ranks second on the school’s all-time assists list with 340. She played four years at Manchester and was an assistant coach there for four years.
“I didn’t think I wanted to do college coaching,” Hamilton said. “I kind wanted a break from coaching in general, so I got a job at Ceraland, and I couldn’t actually coach while I was there because of my hours. But then my mom started an accounting business, so I joined her on staff, and those flexible hours gave me an opportunity to coach again. Coach White contacted me in the spring of 2021 after he took over as head coach, and he asked me if I was interested in being a part of the program, and because I had the schedule and the availability, I decided I wanted to come back.”
Hamilton earned her undergrad degree in sports management with a business minor. She picked up her master’s in coaching administration while she was coaching at Manchester.
“I thought I wanted to be a college coach, and you have to have a master’s degree,” Hamilton said. “I have it kind of in my blood. I thought that was the track I wanted to go on, but things change. I’m really glad I decided to take this position. I wanted them to have a positive experience and leave with those positive thoughts.”
At the same time she started at North last year, her father Brad joined the North coaching staff as her JV assistant. Brad, who coached at the elementary and middle school levels before spending six years as the head varsity girls coach at Hauser, is working with the Bull Dogs’ C-team this season.
“It was always his goal to coach with me,” Jocelyn said. “It was his dream to be my assistant.”
Columbus North girls junior varsity basketball coach Jocelyn Hamilton, left, and assistant coach Tayler Goodall talk as they walk to the locker room at halftime of a JV game against East Central at Columbus North High School in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 8, 2022.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Meanwhile, Goodall helped lead North to the Class 4A state finals as a sophomore in 2012 and became an Indiana All-Star in 2014. She is fourth on the Bull Dogs’ all-time scoring list with 1,291 points and sixth with 576 rebounds.
Goodall went on to play four years at Florida Gulf Coast.
“I guess before a graduated, while I was playing, I always thought I wanted to be a coach,” Goodall said. “But then once I graduated, I kind of wanted a break. I didn’t watch a lot of sports or think about coaching really for a couple years.”
Goodall went to radiography school at Norton King’s Daughters Health in Madison and lived in Madison for two years. She now works as a radiographic technologist at Johnson Memorial Health in Franklin.
“Coach White and Brad Hamilton both reached out to me when summer ball was starting up and asked if I was interested in coaching one of the grade school teams,” Goodall said. “Unfortunately, my work schedule wouldn’t permit me to do that. Then I was helping down at the Mill Race Marathon, and I ran into (varsity assistant coach) RaNae (Issak), and she asked me if I had ever thought about coaching, and she said I ought to come out and give it a try. I came out to a practice, and I thought I could see myself doing this again. I’m glad to be back. I always enjoyed playing for all of them.”
Brad Hamilton coached Goodall at Parkside Elementary and Northside Middle School. Goodall then was a freshman at North when Jocelyn Hamilton was a senior.
Now, Goodall is helping Jocelyn as an assistant with the JV squad.
“She brings a lot of energy, and of course she’s very knowledgeable, so I really like having her next to me on the bench,” Jocelyn said. “It’s been nice for me to see because she was always quiet. She was really talented and knew the game and could score, but it’s been nice to see her speak up and give them instruction because she knows what she’s talking about. She has that validity, and they listen. (Players) seem to really absorb what she’s saying and listen and try to do what she asks.”
Like Hamilton, Goodall is happy to be able to give back to the program that she once played in and share her experiences with today’s players. When senior point guard Emma Long was in third grade, she interviewed and dressed up as Goodall for a class project.
“I’ve been there in the girls’ shoes,” Goodall said. “Some of my favorite memories are from high school basketball, going to state and going to regional and the Indiana All-Stars. A lot of the girls talked about looking up to some of us like Quin (Shoultz) and Ali (Patberg) and Kelsey (Cunningham) and Hanna Ballard. It’s funny to hear them talk about it.”
