It proved to be too good of an opportunity to overlook.

When Amy Hughes saw the advertisement for a new girls basketball coach at Ironton High School, she couldn't help but apply.

Hughes had other plans on her horizon. She was thinking of going back to school and working toward her Masters Degree. That plan will take a detour after Tuesday's Ironton City School Board of Education meeting that turned an hopeful opportunity into a

reality.

The board voted to hire Hughes as the girls' high school basketball coach, a move that left her bubbling.

"I'm so excited about it," said Hughes. "I wasn't really looking for a coaching job this quick, but this program has so much to offer I just couldn't pass it up. There's a lot of potential here and I'm looking forward to the challenge of getting it back up on its feet."

Hughes played at Wheelersburg High School and was the district Player of the Year her senior season. She signed with Connecticut but later transferred closer to home as she starred at Xavier University in Cincinnati.

She landed a coaching job out of college with Rock Hill High School and posted a 32-12 record over two seasons including 17-5 last season when she guided the team to the Ohio Valley Conference championship.

"I think there is a lot of potential here to have a good program. The girls want to win and I think they're willing to work," said Hughes. "It's going to take a lot of hard work on their part and mine, but if we work together we can make this happen." Jim Walker/The Ironton Tribune