Chattanooga Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff Becomes Family Affair

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Chattanooga women’s basketball team has become a family affair.

This summer, head coach Katie Burrows brought her older sister Kristen onto her coaching staff.

News 12’s Angela Moryan tells us how the sisters work together.

Angie: What is it like coaching under your little sister?

Said assistant coach Kristen Clounch: “It’s… interesting.”

Chattanooga women’s head basketball coach Katie Burrows didn’t have to look far when when searching for a new assistant coach this offseason. Kristen Clounch, her older sister, was the natural choice.

Said  Burrows: “She was always one of my first phone calls anyway after ball games just to talk through some things. She had a lot of in sight — every single game… She just kind of came in and flowed right in.”

Said forward Abbey Cornelius: “The way they move, the way they walk, sometimes the way they talk is like, who just said that? You’re the same person. It’s good that Kristen has dark hair and Katie has light hair because otherwise I think we would have to do a lot more double takes.”

However, the two sisters’ relationship didn’t *always* flow in the past.

Said Burrows: “We did not get a long at all growing up…. She was my authority as an assistant coach under my father. That was so much fun, not really.”

Said Clounch: “I didn’t have any problems with it. I had no difficulties with that. I enjoy getting to tell her what to do. I enjoy being the one in control. She wasn’t a fan of that. I have no idea why…”

Burrows: “It was like I have to listen to her because she’s my coach but at the same time she’s my sister and I just want to punch her in the face. But we weren’t allowed to do that. ”

Angie: Did you ever want to punch Katie in the face?

Said Clounch: “No. I’d just tell them to get on the line. It was easy for me because I could just say, ‘White shirts get on the line.’ Or, ‘Black shirts get on the line.’ Whichever team she was on.”

Said Burrows: “Lots of sprints, my teammates would tell you. Lots of sprints and suicides because I didn’t know how to keep my mouth shut.”

Said Clounch: “I did boss her around quite a bit, and it was easy to because I was so much older than her. I can’t do that now. That is an ajustment.”

Said Burrows: “This is the better dynamic because if I was working for her, it wouldn’t be as good because I don’t stop. I just keep poking and prodding, and I don’t quit. She knows when to pull back and go, ‘Okay, you’re decision.’ … I think the only thing that’s really happened is she’ll get fired up, and I’ll go, ‘You need to calm down.’ And then there’s times times when I’m doing something and she goes, ‘Calm down. Let me tell you what I know.’ So, we tell each other to calm down a lot.”

Said Clounch: “Those words don’t really work for either of us so I don’t really know why we choose to use ‘Calm down.’ But I do know how to, it’s that look. We give each other that look.”

Said Burrows: “She just thinks of things sometimes that I don’t think of, and even will challenge me with like, ‘Hey, you don’t get to take those time outs to you to the next game. Maybe you should use one.’ She doesn’t quite say it that sarcastically. But she actually just kind of gives a look like, ‘Would you call one? I’m going to die.'”

From mortal enemies to basketball besties, the two sisters have made the team even closer.

Said Cornelius: “I think it’s special. It creates even more of a family atmosphere here. We already have a good family, but to have even more family, it’s really special.”