Abby Talley, a long-time coach at Romeoville High School, has been named the College of DuPage Chaparrals head women’s basketball coach, director of athletics and recreation Ryan Kaiser has announced.
Talley has spent the last three season as an assistant coach at RHS and has served in a number of capacities within the program since graduating from the school in 2013. She returned home each summer to assist with its summer camp program under head coach Devin Bates while she attended and played at NCAA Division II member McKendree University.
The position at COD will be her first as a head coach.
“I wanted this position the moment I stepped on to the COD campus,” she said. “I’m amazed at all the resources that exist, not only as a head coach building a program, but by all of the opportunities that exist here for our student-athletes. The resurgence and energy surrounding athletics combined with high quality academic programs and the support to pursue academic goals is hard to ignore.
“I’m excited to begin.”
Kaiser said Talley set herself apart with her energy and her ability to utilize area contacts as a high school basketball coach.
“When I talked to Abby the first time there was a connection,” he said. “As we went through the interviewing process, Abby’s vision of what COD basketball should be stood out to our department. The hunger and desire to turn our basketball team around and into a program was what sold me on Abby. I could not be more pleased with this hire. It took a while, but we got the perfect fit for us.”
Talley played all four years of college basketball at McKendree, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in exercise science. She was a four-time academic all-conference selection for the Bearcats.
“I’ve always wanted to coach at the college level,” she said. “It’s a big step, but I’m ready for the challenge of building a program and working with college-aged women who want to use basketball as a tool for their educational goals. I know what playing college basketball meant to me and I want to coach college basketball and share those past, positive experiences with our team.”
She holds a master’s degree from Grand Canyon University in special education. She taught at Romeoville High School from 2019-21.
She and her husband Brandon are the parents of one-year old daughter Leia and make their home in Romeoville.
