Jeffery Piggie said he came to Northwest to see a different view and explore a new opportunity, but basketball has always been a part of his life. Piggie, the new head girls basketball coach, came to Blue Valley Northwest last year from Raytown South High School, where he was an assistant girls basketball coach for about 12 years. After joining Northwest as the girls assistant coach last season, he was promoted to head coach for the 2025-26 year.
“My uncle (Myron Piggie) is one of the biggest AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) coaches in history around the area, so it has always been in my family. On my dad’s side of the family, it’s all been basketball forever,” Piggie said.
He said his impression of the team so far is that they have some very skilled players, with senior players who have been putting in the hard work for their return. Senior varsity player Rylie Edwards has been playing for 12 years and has had the chance to work with multiple coaches. Edwards said Piggie has a different coaching style from most.
“He lets us do things until he needs to intervene. He sits back, and then if something happens, he’ll say something,” Edwards said. “He trusts us to make the right decisions and won’t micromanage our plays.”
Edwards said Piggie knows the team’s limits and will not push them to the point of burnout, but will push them because he knows their potential. She also said her confidence has gone up knowing that he trusts her and wants the best for her.
Piggie said one challenge this season is the team being undersized, but he isn’t worried because of the girls’ skill levels. Apart from any obstacles, his goal is to compete in the Eastern Kansas League (EKL) and see how it plays out. Piggie said he sets a standard for the girls to meet expectations and hopes they leave the program as better human beings
“We have plans to be better each day, plans to not give up, plans to be who they are and don’t change for people, but come together as a group,” Piggie said. “[We] all have the same goal to be successful in the life of basketball and in the life they are living as well.”
Piggie said he focuses on team dynamics and helping the team work successfully together. With preseason starting in June and the regular season starting in November, he said the team is doing a great job with the workouts in the morning before school and throughout the summer.
“They’ve been working hard because they have a goal they want to achieve, and they’re putting in the work to achieve that goal,” Piggie said.
Girls basketball C team coach, Kim White, said that since the day Piggie took over the position as head coach, he has been committed. She said he has a clear plan for developing the program and has been focused on what is best for the specific group of girls he has. Starting with the summer league and continuing into the off-season, White said Piggie has been putting in all the necessary building blocks for a strong foundation to improve the program.
“He knows the game of basketball and knows how to design a play. He’s really good with the X’s and O’s and developing that part of our program,” White said.
Senior varsity player Molly Numrich also said Piggie stepped up before being officially selected for the position.
“That definitely showed his dedication towards the program and towards making us better athletes,” Numrich said.
Along with Numrich and White, Edwards said Piggie had been putting in the extra work daily, being in the gym with the team, even when he wasn’t confirmed for the head position. Numrich and Edwards said Piggie has been a support system for them, and team chemistry has gone up since having him as coach.
“Since we’ve known Piggie this past year, instead of having a brand new coach, we have a familiar face. Especially starting the season, we feel more comfortable talking to him about things, or if we need to change or say something, he’s there,” Numrich said
White said one of Piggie’s biggest strengths is his excitement for coaching the girls and dedication to the job. With his high standards and expectations, he gives the girls the tools to live up to them.
“He works hard. He comes to practice prepared. He knows what he wants to do. He has goals and ambitions for the girls, and all he wants to do is help them get there,” White said.
