A former Red Devil has found her way home.

Hinsdale Central High School recently announced that Lindsey Montgomery (nee Kabat), a 1993 graduate, has been hired as the next head coach of the girls varsity basketball team.

“I am really excited,” Montgomery said. “It was an opportunity that I had to jump at. At first, I didn’t really know for me personally if it was the right timing. But some things fell into place. I am real excited. It is my alma mater. I had some great experiences there and I am excited to go back. It is a great team and a great school.

“I got really lucky. I’ve heard nothing but great things about the girls. I feel very fortunate and I haven’t even coached them yet. I think it will be a great experience for me and I hope the same for them. It will be fun to go back and be there.”

Montgomery played basketball and soccer at Hinsdale Central before continuing with both sports at Lake Forest College. She has been an assistant coach at Lake Forest and the University of Chicago and from 2002 to 2006 was an assistant varsity coach at St. Ignatius.

“She is going to be a great leader of the basketball program,” said Hinsdale Central athletic director Paul Moretta. “We expect her to continue the strong success we’ve had. She is a wonderful role model for young women. She is an alum and we can’t be more excited about her leadership within this program.

“We were very fortunate. She basically fell in my lap. It is always a complicated puzzle filling teaching and coaching openings. Her experience and background and her desire to lead our program really worked out for our benefit.”

Montgomery takes over for another former Red Devil, Morgan Kasperek, who replaced Steve Gross part way through the 2008-09 season. Kasperek is headed back to school to get her teaching certificate while Gross was an assistant coach when Montgomery played at Hinsdale Central.

“I’d like to build on 2002, when they won a state title,” Montgomery said. “I’d like to return to state, that is my goal for the team. We have a solid group of returners and I am looking forward to working with everyone. It is a well-established, successful program.

“I am a product of Steve Gross. He taught me a lot. His philosophy is defense wins championships and I whole-heartedly believe in that. Defense is my bread and butter.”

NCAA qualifier takes over wrestling program
The school also named Jason Hayes as its new wrestling coach. The Purdue graduate and national qualifier for the Boilermakers spent the last two years as the head coach at Plainfield North. He will teach physical education at Hinsdale Central and takes over for Jim Zajicek, who helped bring the program to greater heights in his eight years.

“He is another guy with a great reputation in the wrestling community,” Moretta said. “He has already proven himself as a coach at Plainfield North and as an assistant at Northern Illinois. His resume is really strong.”