Springbrook High School announced Miriam Tesfamikael as their new varsity boys’ basketball head coach this week. Tesfamikael, or “Coach T” as many call her, is believed to be the first woman to be a head coach of a boys’ varsity basketball team in Montgomery County history according to MCPS. She had been coaching Springbrook’s JV team for several seasons.
Dr. Jeffrey Sullivan, Director of Systemwide Athletics for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), told MyMCM, “As we get set to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Title IX next month, the importance of trailblazers and women in sports continues to be at the forefront of our efforts.” He added, “she is certainly deserving and we are very proud that we have women coaching in such capacities in our program.
In addition to Springbrook, Wootton hired a female junior varsity football coach and Dawn Dickinson just coached the Clarksburg boys’ volleyball team to a second consecutive county championship last week.
In a message to the Springbrook family, Tesfamikael said, “Hello Blue Devil Nation! I’m so thankful for the opportunity to take on my new role as the Varsity Boys Basketball Coach at Springbrook High School. I have spent the last 11 years coaching basketball. I originally got my start as a coach at St.Thomas the Apostle in Chicago, IL before transitioning to the JV boys basketball coach at the University of Chicago Woodlawn Charter High School. After 5 years of coaching, I took over the varsity program at UCW and set the record (still standing!) for regular season and playoff wins. In 2017, my husband and I relocated to the DMV and I began working with the varsity program at Springbrook High School. In 2018 I accepted the role of the JV boys basketball coach here at Springbrook while also coaching the boys team at Argyle Middle School, where I previously taught. I’ve been teaching Biology at Springbrook since 2019 and most recently, coaching our JV team which finished the 2021-22 season with an undefeated record! A little about my personal background. I was born and raised in Columbia, Missouri and played collegiately at the University of Chicago. I began graduate school early and received my bachelors degree in Public Policy with a specialization in Education Reform and masters degree in teaching, both from the University of Chicago.I’m ready to continue the work with our boys and build a cohesive program at Springbrook. The parents and students have been incredibly welcoming and I’m looking forward to what the future holds in the upcoming years! Our biggest goal is to bring home a state championship, and I believe with hard work and dedication we can truly build something special! To do so, we’ll start by strengthening our relationship with our fellow alumni. Springbrook is such a diverse place and the community roots run deep! As the new varsity coach, I’ll also be creating opportunities for community members, whether in organizing Alumni vs Student games, building a K-8 summer camp, and overall, bringing our collective spirit and energy to Springbrook Basketball! I look forward to your continued support and hope to see you in the stands next season. Go Brook!”
