With former high school girls basketball coach Amanda Baca moving into the role of athletic director, Gerrard Carmichael has stepped in to lead the flock through the 2017-18 season.

But while Carmichael may be new to the team, he’s far from new to coaching the sport.

A credit representative at Lexington Law Firm, Carmichael has been coaching for more than 15 years. He said he’s headed up teams at pretty much all levels.

“I was an assistant coach at Pepperdine University, Utah Valley State College – now Utah Valley University – and an assistant at other high schools including Shadow Mountain and Horizon,” Carmichael said. “I was an assistant coach at the junior college level as well, so I’ve been doing it for a while.”

Carmichael said his connection to Fountain Hills comes via high school Principal Cain Jagodzinski.

“He used to coach at Shadow Mountain when I was over there,” Carmichael said. “He knew I wasn’t coaching this season and told me they could use a coach up here, and I said I’d be happy to help you out…And now I’m happy I made that decision.”

Coming into the program, Carmichael said he had a bit of familiarity with the Falcons as he had a nephew who used to play basketball for the local school. Working with the team for a few weeks now, he said it’s definitely a “different situation,” coaching a smaller program at a smaller division school.

“I’m used to bigger schools and universities, but it’s also a family-type atmosphere here, which I love,” he added. “The kids are a bit more personable, so there’s a bit more coaching and teaching involved here.”

Carmichael said that he typically coaches squads that boast year-round players while the Fountain Hills roster tends to be more seasonal.

“In those situations, you’ve just got to pick it back up and get it going again,” he said.

Looking over the roster, Carmichael said he only has a handful of athletes with significant varsity experience playing this year.

“We have no seniors,” he added. “But we’ve got three juniors and where much is given, much is expected. So there’s a lot of weight on their shoulders. It’s testing time. Can they handle it and how will they handle it?”

In short, this is a young roster, but Carmichael said a sense of excitement comes with it.

“As a coach, you want to compete,” he said. “You want to be able to get out there and be one of the top teams. But you also have to realize that it’s going to take some work to get there. These kids want to get there, though, so that’s a great start. We’ll work on getting there and, once that happens, we’ll make some noise.”

Carmichael said the team is lacking height, so they’ll be working at ways to counteract that on the court. In the positive column, though, he said that the core of the team has been working together since the sixth grade.

“I’ve got to get them to work beyond what they think they can do, so I’ll be pushing them,” Carmichael added. “Either they’re going to break, or they’re going to break records, and we’ll figure that out.

“I’m here to teach, to motivate and to be your teammate, but you’ve got to bring it. I’m not a yeller or a screamer, but I expect them to fulfill their responsibilities.”

Carmichael said he’s “already their biggest fan,” so he’s looking forward to seeing the team grow over the next several months.

“We aim to be competitive in every game we play,” Carmichael said. “Defense is our top priority. Beyond that, we play it out. Smelling defeat too early isn’t an option.”

The Lady Falcons begin their season on the road this evening, Nov. 29, with a 5:30 p.m. game against Wickenburg. Play continues in Payson tomorrow, Nov. 30, at the same time. The first home game of the season is next Tuesday, Dec. 5, when the Falcons welcome the team from American Leadership Academy at 5:30 p.m.