Diamond Excited About New Challenge
After years of being the head baseball coach at Jay High School, Jorey Diamond will be switching from turf shoes to something more suitable to the gym. Diamond is the new head girls basketball coach at Jay High School and could not be more ready to get started. “I’m very excited about this,” stated Diamond. “I’ve been working with these girls as Coach Watson’s assistant for several seasons, so I know them well. It’s a group of hard workers and I enjoy being around them.” When Brian Watson was named head football coach, Diamond took the reins as the new man in charge for the girls basketball program.
Jorey Diamond is no newcomer to Jay High; a 1991 graduate, he has been teaching and coaching at JHS since 2006. Diamond has coached football since he has been at Jay, currently serving as the Royals’ defensive coordinator, and was the head baseball coach for over 10 years. But now he turns his attention and focus to basketball.
The Royals went 10-12 last season, but injuries and youth were the main reasons for the record. While the team is still made up largely of underclassmen, it is a group that has been playing together for years off campus and are already off to a good start for the 2022-2023 season defeating Gulf Breeze and PCA in a pre-season tournament. The Lady Royals this season will be relying on four eighth graders, three freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and one senior. When asked about the challenges and pros of coaching such a young team, Diamond was quick to respond. “Teaching patience and getting the girls to see the bigger picture are challenges right now. But, this is a group that is open to teaching and getting coached. They’re an open book.”
The Lady Royals will be a work in progress to start the season, learning and implementing what the new coach wants to see. “Ultimately, we want to spread the floor offensively. We have plenty of good ball handlers so we want to get up and down the floor. We want our defense to be our best offense.” Speaking of defense, Diamond wants to emphasize a man-to-man style of play. “We want to pick up teams full court when we can. Very proud that we held PCA scoreless in the fourth quarter.”
With a new head coach and a wealth of young talent, the Lady Royals seem to be ready for a new chapter for the program.
