It's Pedersen's Turn to Coach Libertyville Girls Basketball

The new girls varsity basketball coach at Libertyville has put in his time studying under head coaches Bill Mix, Amy Holtsford and Kathie Swanson.

Greg Pedersen has been an assistant coach for 11 seasons and the last three have produced North Suburban Conference championships.

Now comes word that Pedersen has been chosen as the next head coach at  That is pending board approval.

The last time this job opened, he had a 3-year-old at home and his wife was pregnant with another child. Now those kids are 10 and 7 and ready to attend the girls basketball games.

Swanson's surprise announcement caught this coach as well.

"I had no idea at all,'' Pedersen said. "Being a head coach here wasn't on my radar."

Pedersen didn't waste much time compiling a coaching staff. He's brought back some familiar names to help him. It's those former head coaches, Holtsford and Mix.

"They were really good head coaches,'' Pedersen said. "With the two of them, we won't miss a beat."

Libertyville athletic director Briant Kelly didn't have to look far for his next coach and is certain he got the right man for the job.

"Greg has contributed to the girls basketball program for the past 11 years as an assistant coach,'' Kelly said. "His knowledge of basketball and his coaching ability to get the players to work hard is unparalleled."

Pedersen coached boys basketball at Sandwich High School. He was hoping for the same opportunity at Libertyville.

"I was interested in getting into boys basketball but there was nothing available,'' he said. "So Bill Mix gave me a shot in girls basketball. I loved working for him."

It's fair to say Pedersen worked his way up the chain. He coached freshman B, freshman A and junior varsity girls basketball as well.

Graduation again will hurt the Libertyville program that has been so successful in recent years.

"We are really inexperienced,'' Pedersen said. "We have one returning starter (Olivia Mayer) and whole bunch of youth. We also have a lot of talent coming up the pipes. I want our kids to get as much out of basketball as they put into it."

Pedersen was along for the ride that produced so much winning the past three seasons.

"Kathie (Swanson) did a great job,'' he said. "She was very committed. The program is set all the way down to the Lady Cats third- to fifth-grade level."