Coming home was supposed to be her chance to relax and rejuvenate. Instead, former Keith High School basketball standout Antoinette Blevins hopes to take this opportunity to help herself and her teammates reach new heights of success.

Blevins recently was named the new women’s head basketball coach at Wallace Community College Selma.

Blevins replaces Henry Norris, who resigned after last season in which the lady Bears lost all 25 games they played.

“I was ready to come back here,” said Blevins, who most recently was an assistant coach at Chicago State University. “I’ve been away for several years. It was just time to come home.”

When Blevins returned home, she didn’t plan to stay long. She had hoped to be named the head coach of the Birmingham Powers in the National Women’s Basketball League. This career choice, however, proved to be too much of a challenge for her to pass up – at least for now.

“I want to help this college get back on track,” she said. “The Birmingham job is something to help build up a resume. This job is more of a challenge. I love challenges.

“I’ll probably be here two years,” Blevins added. “I’ve told (school officials) that. This isn’t the level I want to stay at. Someday I want to coach in the WNBA.”

Blevins enjoyed a stellar career with the Keith High School Lady Bears. She was named five times each to the Class 3A All-Tournament Team and the All-Region Team. Despite her successful high school career, Blevins never experienced a state championship. During her junior season, the Lady Bears made it to the semifinals, coming within two games of capturing the state crown – a fact that haunts her still today.

“It’s good win individual things, to have something to show,” she said. “But it didn’t mean as much without winning a state championship. Individual awards are all about me. State championships are about the team. I’m big with the team concept.

“I hate losing,” Blevins added. “I always want to accomplish as much as possible. It hurt me that I never played for a state championship. I want these girls to feel what it’s like to win at that level.”

The Lady Patriots’ new coach said she has the tools to win at the junior college level, including three players she believes could play Division I ball.

Blevins’ playing career ended two games into her senior season when her knee buckled as she went up for a layup. That misfortune, however, could spell the beginning to a fine coaching career.