Brownwood High School athletic director Sammy Burnett announced on Friday afternoon that Cheyanne Lovelady has accepted the position of head volleyball coach of the Brownwood Lady Lions.

Lovelady, a Bangs High School graduate and Howard Payne University graduate, has served as Bangs volleyball head coach for the past four seasons. The Lady Dragons reached the playoffs twice during her tenure, including a bi-district appearance in 2022.

“I wasn’t looking to leave Bangs, I’ve built up that program and I feel the program is going to be pretty successful the next couple of years,” Lovelady said. “But when (Lady Lions athletic coordinator) Heather (Hohertz) called and asked if I was interested, yes came out without having to think about it. I prayed about it a lot and I think I’m ready to build another program and Brownwood is a great place to be. It just seemed like the right move.”

Lovelady is also the sister of former Lady Lions all-state standout Torrey Miller, who helped lead West Texas A&M to the NCAA Division II national championship this past season.

Lovelady replaces Allison Eaton who spent the last four seasons guiding the Lady Lions program, with three trips to the playoffs. In 2022, however, Brownwood posted a 4-23 record during a rebuilding campaign.

“I haven’t got to see the girls at all, but as far as what I’ve been told the freshman class coming up has a lot of potential,” Lovelady said. “The girls are excited and want to learn and this will be a building year, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have success. The schedule may be a little easier than it was last year, so that may help us get some confidence, but I’m really excited to build this program. I think we’re going to have a really good group there.”

Lovelady shared her philosophy on building a program, stating, “The first thing I think of is building relationships and getting the kids to commit and have faith in what you’re doing. If I’m excited to be there I think the kids are going to be excited to be there. I’m putting in 110 percent and I’m expecting that from them. That’s the best way to start building.”

Regarding leaving her alma mater in Bangs, Lovelady said, “It took me a full week and I thought about it most of that time. Coaching there for four years, graduating from there, the kids are really young and I adore those girls. They’ve worked hard for me and I was pretty emotional. It was definitely a hard decision to make but I felt like they’re set. I’ve given them a lot to work with, they’re ready and at this point they’re going to be successful regardless.”

Both the Lady Lions and Lady Dragons begin practicing Aug. 1.