Jul 15, 2021 3 min read

It appears that tales of Kathy McConnell-Miller’s departure from Trinity High School was greatly overstated.

McConnell-Miller announced earlier this month that she was leaving the Trinity program she worked so hard to build and would be taking a job at a junior college, Gulf Coast State College in Panama City, Fla.

Just two weeks later, McConnell-Miller had a change of heart and will return to the Trinity program.

McConnell-Miller’s return leaves only a baseball coach and boys lacrosse and girls lacrosse coach positions vacant on the Hillers coaching staff.

McConnell-Miller, who amassed a 42-7 record in two seasons with the Hillers, said the decision to leave was a hard one, one she was not as comfortable with as she thought.

“The weekend gave me some clarity,” said McConnell-Miller. “It showed me just how much I value my position at Trinity and just how much I love it.”

McConnell-Miller said her family’s happiness played a huge role in her decision to change her mind.

“Anyone who knows me knows the significance of my family,” McConnell-Miller said. “I value the opportunity to work with these young women.

“I think time away from anything can change your perspective. I love what I do. I love working with young women. I believe the opportunity to impact these women … It’s something I never took for granted.”

Trinity athletic director Ricci Rich said that since there was no school board meeting since she made her announcement, her letter of resignation was never delivered to the board.

“It was a tough situation to leave,” said Rich. “There are obviously a lot of components to it. She just decided where she was at was a good fit for her. You never know what’s going to happen.

“I’m ecstatic to have her back,” Rich continued. “She does such great things not only for the team but for the whole athletic department. For us, it’s a huge asset to have her.”

McConnell-Miller was named Girls Basketball Coach of the Year in 2020 by the Tri-County Athletic Directors Association after guiding the Hillers to a 21-5 record. The Hillers advanced to the WPIAL title game, losing to Chartiers Valley, coached by McConnell-Miller’s brother, Tim McConnell. In the state tournament, Trinity defeated Penn Hills and Great Valley before the season was shut down because of the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This past season, Trinity easily won the Section 3 championship, winning all 12 league games. The Hillers returned to the WPIAL title game, losing again to Chartiers Valley. Only district champions advanced to the state tournament this year and the Hillers’ season ended with a 21-2 record.

The biggest win of the 2020-21 season was a 49-42 victory over Chartiers Valley in January, which ended the Colts’ state-record 64-game winning streak.