Michelle Blackford returns to Pueblo West after two decades to coach girls basketball

Michelle Blackford said the timing was right.

Blackford, the first head girls basketball coach in Pueblo West High School history, has returned to her roots. Earlier this week, Blackford was approved as the head girls basketball coach for the Cyclones, returning to the role after a 20-year hiatus.

Blackford coached at Pueblo West for four seasons starting in 1997 but left because of family issues.

"My kids were young and I had to take care of my daughter, who was diagnosed with leukemia," Blackford said.

The Cyclones were 10-5 overall last season and won the South-Central League with a 9-1 record. They were beaten by Ralston Valley 73-43 in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs.

Blackford replaces Valerie Stambersky, who was the head coach for one season.

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Blackford said making the decision to return as a head coach wasn't easy.

"When I was first approached about the job I didn't know what to think," said Blackford, now 50. "Do I want to be a head coach at 50 years old? That was something I had to mull over and think about.

"I prayed about it and decided it was the right time. I had a lot of fun last season and I'm ready to go take on this challenge."

She was the junior varsity coach last season under Stambersky.

Blackford played at Metropolitan State College and came to Pueblo as an assistant girls basketball coach under legendary coach Jim Harrison at Pueblo South High School. She worked under Harrison for a couple of years before taking the head position at Pueblo West.

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Blackford knows she is up against a challenge as the Cyclones are entering their second season in Class 5A.

"I think the girls learned a lot from last season," Blackford said. "They were intimidated at first but the more you see that type of competition, the better you become.

"We are playing a tough schedule with Cherry Creek and Highlands Ranch again, so we'll have to be ready.

"We are going to have to be scrappy and go after every loose ball because we're not very big. That's the way we're going to have to play to be able to be competitive."

Chieftain senior sports reporter Jeff Letofsky can be reached by email at jletofsky@chieftain.com or on Twitter @jeffletofsky