For nearly 50 years, Irvington High School girls varsity basketball was shaped by one steady presence on the sidelines: Coach Gina Maher. Her retirement marked the end of an era for the program that became known not only for its success on the court, but for the strong sense of sisterhood and community it brought along the way.
Now the program enters its next chapter under the leadership of Kaitlin Degan, a familiar face to many in the Irvington community. Degan is an Irvington high school alumni, class of 2007, a former player now grown up leading the team she played on two decades ago. “I am honored and humbled to be taking over the head coach role of the legendary sisterhood of VGB,” Degan said, using the longstanding nickname for the girls varsity basketball program. “Coach Maher had a profound impact on my life and why I wanted to become a coach of high school athletes. She was more than a coach; she was an agent of transformation during a very important time in young people’s lives.”
Degan played for Coach Maher and longtime assistant Barbra Constantine from eighth through twelfth grade, forming relationships that would later influence her coaching philosophy. After graduating from Irvington, Degan continued her athletic career at Manhattanville College, where she played basketball and softball for the Valiants from 2007 to 2011.
Following college, Degan began coaching at Rye Neck High School, serving as an assistant from 2012 to 2018 under Cathy Toolan. During that same time, she also became the head varsity softball coach at Hastings High School, a role she continues to hold today.
In 2020, Degan returned to Irvington, this time as a junior varsity girls basketball coach. Over the past several seasons, she worked closely with many of the athletes who now make up the varsity roster, creating a sense of stability as the program transitioned into new leadership. “I’ve been lucky enough to coach every single player on this team at the JV level,” Degan said. “I also stayed involved with the varsity program by keeping the book for games and traveling with them during playoffs. That familiarity helped build trust.”
That trust, she said, has been especially important during this transition. Degan credited the team’s senior leaders, Kayla Clinton, Sophia Im, Jelena Herceg, Chloe MacKessy, and Nia Kilbury, with helping to set the tone.
“They’ve made this easy for me,” she said. “Their leadership and the relationships we had already had before this season really stood out.” Degan describes her coaching philosophy as putting “the person before the player.” She emphasized character, respect, and relationships as the foundation of the program.
“I believe character drives the culture of a team,” she said. “That culture leads to positive relationships between coaches and teammates, and that matters as much as what happens on the court.”
While Degan plans to preserve the traditions that have defined Irvington’s girls basketball for decades, she also brings lessons learned from her own coaching experiences. “I’m a product of this program,” she said. “The traditions are already embedded in who I am. Over time, I’ll add my own approach, using what I’ve learned as a coach to continue building our culture.”
On the court, Degan hopes to improve the team’s win total, limit turnovers, and strengthen ball movement and rebounding. Off the court, the focus remains on honoring Coach Maher’s legacy and maintaining the close-knit culture that has long defined the program.
For Degan, the role is deeply personal. Her mother, Noreen, is a state championship softball coach at Ardsley High School, and coaching has always been a part of her life. “The Irvington community shaped me into who I am as a person, teacher and coach,” Degan said. “I lead with fairness and respect, and I have big goals for this program. I plan to honor our traditions to the greatest extent possible.”
As Irvington girls basketball moves forward, the program’s foundation remains unchanged: built on relationships, shared history, and a commitment to supporting young women both on and off the court. With a coach who once wore the same green and white jersey now leading from the sidelines, the story continues in a way that feels both new and familiar.
PHOTO: Sideline
CAPTION: Coach Degan describes her coaching philosophy as “putting the person before the player.” Photo Gerry Byrne
PHOTO: Team Photo
CAPTION: Coach Degan (eighth from left in back row) at the championship of the Warnock Tournament on Dec. 6. Gina Maher is on Degan’s left. Photo Gerry Byrne
