Longtime Peoria-area natives, Heather Cassady and Harvey Mitchell, have joined the Illinois Central College women’s basketball team as assistant coaches. Cassady, a Dunlap native, most recently served as the Dunlap High School girls’ basketball coach from 2013-2023, while Mitchell (Peoria Heights alum) returns home after serving as a coach at Radford High School in Radford, Virginia.
“We are thrilled to add Heather and Harvey to our staff,” ICC women’s basketball coach Karrie Redeker said. “Heather will give great insight to our kids as a Hall of Fame and All-Big 10 point guard. She has experience as both a successful head coach and assistant coach and also has a lot of knowledge about area players for recruiting. Harvey has a wide variety of experiences, both in basketball and leadership areas and has a great enthusiasm for the game and life. He possesses a gift to communicate with young people, which will be instrumental to our players and staff.”
Cassady won 170 games with the Eagles and captured an outright Mid-Illini Conference championship in 2021. She also served as the head coach at Richwoods High School in 2012-13, leading the Knights to a 26-7 record, Class 3A super-sectional berth, and a Mid-State 6 Conference crown. An All-Big 10 performer at Indiana University and professional player in Greece, she gained her college coaching experience at Indiana State University, helping the Sycamores to a Missouri Valley Conference championship. Cassady was inducted as a player into both the Illinois Basketball Coaches’ Association Hall of Fame (2012) and Greater Peoria Sports’ Hall of Fame (2010) and was named IBCA Coach of the Year in 2012 and 2021.
Mitchell has coached girls at the high school and grade school levels since 2000 and also served as an assistant coach for the Cougar men’s basketball team in 2017-18. He has experience in management, working with TJ Maxx for over fifteen years.
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