A four-time Sac-Joaquin Section champion at Christian Brothers High School and a former NCAA Division I collegiate student-athlete at Nevada and Cal Poly, Brittany Woodard has been named as the St. Francis High head varsity basketball coach, the college preparatory school announced in June 2022.

A former junior varsity head coach at CB and the assistant JV coach for the Troubadours in 2021-22, Woodard replaced David Carmichael, who held the role from December 2020 to March 2022.

“I’m so excited. Basketball has been a part of my life since Day 1,” said Woodard. “Being a student-athlete at Cal Poly, I learned so much that is transferable off the court. I was really excited to get the opportunity to coach JV last year and to get to know the girls and their parents. So I’m looking forward to take it to the next level and see what we can do. 

“I work at SMUD, and we’re all about giving back to the community. Being able to coach something that I love and I’m passionate about is a dream.”

Woodard helped head coach Melissa Triebwasser guide the SFHS JV Gold team to a 22-4 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark against Delta League opposition in 2021-22. This was Woodard’s first coaching stint since a successful two-year run with the Falcons’ JV from 2017 to 19, during which she totaled 35 wins with a 19-1 league record. In between, she completed her master of business administration from the UC Davis Graduate School of Management.

As a collegian, Woodard played two years at Nevada (2008-10), then lettered two more seasons at Cal Poly, from which she completed her bachelor’s degree in journalism in 2013. In her senior season with the Mustangs, she averaged 9.9 points per game with two of her career-best performances coming against Stephen F. Austin (18 points) and UC Davis (21 points, eight rebounds).

Woodard describes her role with the St. Francis student-athletes as akin to “having daughters.” Already a mother of a seven-year-old son (Quincy), she looks to serve as a mentor and role model to the Troubie girls. “Commiting to coaching is a full-time job, and it’s not just basketball for me. It’s about academics and making sure things are good at home,” Woodard says. “There’s a lot going in the life of a girl, and I want to be someone who they can trust and who can help them through this process.”

“It’s important for me that my players understand that I’ve walked in their shoes. I know what it’s like to study for finals while having a game the next day. Of course, we want to win and we want to get banners, but we have to get it done in the classroom. It’s how I was raised, it’s what was ingrained in me at Cal Poly, and it’s what I will reiterate with the girls.”

Originally from the Sacramento area, she matriculated from St. Mary’s before attempting Troubies’ rival CB. As a Falcon, she won three section titles in volleyball plus one basketball crown in her senior year. She also earned Sacramento Bee Player of the Year accolades in hoop, plus four All-Metro honors from that newspaper in her two sports. Woodard also played club basketball for Just Believe Sports and coach Sean Chambers. 

On the court, Woodard’s primary objectives are similar to those of her predecessor Carmichael. “I know the girls want to do fancy stuff like behind-the-back moves, but I want to them to hone in on the things we can grow on: fundamentals and defense. The biggest thing is that we come together as a team, and build a strong foundation of trust. A basketball team can be a second family for them, and that’s my main goal.”

Woodard also extends her gratitude to the sizable network she has built throughout her still-young basketball career. “I can’t do this alone. I’m truly blessed that I have so much support from Coach Carmichael, [varsity assistant] Angela Dusel, my college coaches, my Sacramento coaches, Coach Melissa. I’m super-excited to have so many people in my corner who are rallying behind me.”