Liana Cunningham has dreamed of coaching since she was 10 years old. Now 25, Cunningham is already seeing her dream take off.
Our MIAA Girls Coach of the Year led North Quincy to its first semifinal in program history this past winter. After going 12-10 in Cunningham's first season at the helm, the Raiders went 20-4, won the Patriot League Fisher Division title and triumphed in a Division 2 quarterfinal battle against Notre Dame (Hingham).
Cunningham is a new name on the local coaching scene, but she's been around Quincy and basketball her whole life. She finished high school as rival Quincy's all-time and single-season assists leader, then played two years of college basketball at Framingham state before assisting for two seasons at Stoneham.
Cunningham joined the HoopWise Podcast to discuss what motivates her to coach and what it's like to be among the younger members of the Massachusetts coaching community. She also reflected on North Quincy's stellar season and the pride the city of Quincy takes in its basketball development.
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Highlights
Who did you grow up watching coach on TV and picture yourself coaching like?
Cunningham: "Definitely Geno Auriemma, Huge role model, great coach, somebody that you strive to be in any aspect. Definitely just watching Doc Rivers winning that 2008 championship with the Boston Celtics, I mean, that was huge. I just love basketball. I would record all the Celtics games and just re-watch them, see what they were doing, try to digest the game in a way, and I kind of just knew I had the knack for it."
Are there current MIAA coaches that you've been excited to connect with or coach against?
Cunningham: "Definitely Mark Nickerson of Medfield – huge relationship that we've gained and someone you strive to be. I met him in person when he did the (EMass Showcase). I had Maeve (Powers) in it and I kept just saying, 'This is awesome. I wish people knew more about this and how great this is, because obviously there have been different pathways that girls can take.'
"So I met him there and we just developed a connection. We did his jamboree and he actually was the scorekeeper for the jamboree when we played our first game. So that was before the season, the first weekend of practice. We went and we played Wayland and he was the scorekeeper, and he was like, 'I really hope I don't see you guys until the finals. And I was like, really? Hearing that coming from somebody of that nature and just somebody that you highly respect – I was like, if he sees that, I should definitely see that."
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