'Right person at the right time': Briana Kinsley follows dad, coaches boys basketball

NORTH CANTON — Briana Kinsley doesn't remember life without basketball because life without basketball never existed for her.

So it goes for the daughter of a basketball coach.

Now she is following in the footsteps of her father, longtime Green boys basketball coach Mark Kinsley, and she's walking a somewhat unique path.

The 25-year-old Kinsley is the head coach for the North Canton Middle School's seventh-grade "Orange" boys basketball team this winter.

A female coaching males isn't the rarest of happenings these days. Still, it's not exactly common, either. Kinsley, a 2016 North Canton Hoover High School graduate who is in her third year as an intervention specialist at the middle school, was approached by Hoover varsity boys basketball coach Mike Bluey about the opening in October.

"I was a little intimidated going into it," Briana said. "I was very fortunate that all our middle school boys in our program are extremely kind and respectful. So that helped a lot that I was able to get a team of boys who really respect me. ... It was really cool to see them grasp having a female leader."

Kinsley isn't new to coaching. She's coached volleyball at the middle school the last two seasons. She's a volunteer assistant for North Canton's wheelchair basketball program. She coached fourth-grade girls CYO basketball while in college at Bowling Green.

She also is in her third season keeping the scorebook for her dad's team at Green.

Bluey has seen Kinsley's work in the classroom and on the bench. He said her presence in the middle school carries a lot of weight.

"Her ability to communicate and motivate I thought was outstanding," he said. "I never even flinched at her coaching boys. It just felt like it was the right person at the right time."

The feedback Bluey has received has been nothing but positive, he said. Kinsley's 12-player "Orange" team is 2-5 this season. She doesn't have an assistant coach, although she and eighth-grade "Orange" coach Eric Sarbaugh help each other on game nights.

Cal Walker is a shooting guard on Kinsley's team. Asked what he thought when he found out his coach would be a woman, Walker said, "Well, I had heard all the students at the middle school really like her. I also heard her volleyball team went 15-0, so I figured she must be pretty good.

"I like her a lot. She's a really good coach."

It runs in the family. Mark Kinsley is in his 26th season as Green's head coach and 29th overall. He enters Friday's game at Canton McKinley with 399 career wins, and his team 6-1 this season. Known for their defense, discipline and physicality, Kinsley's Bulldogs have won two straight Federal League championships and four in the last six years. They also have two district championships in the previous five seasons.

There is a lot of pride with Mark and his wife, Krista, in what Briana is doing as a teacher and coach. Mark likes what he's seen on the sideline from Briana so far.

"Obviously, I'm a little biased with her being my daughter, but I've been impressed by what she's done with them," he said. "I remember going in the first game and they were running set plays and they were getting the shot they were trying to get. I thought it was really good. That's not always the easiest thing to do. I think she's done a good job with the boys."

North Canton earned its first win of the season when Briana drew up an inbounds play in the final seconds against Oakwood on Dec. 11. The Vikings cleared out for Knoelle Feinberg to score on a drive, giving them a 28-27 win.

"That was pretty neat," Mark Kinsley said.

It's difficult to fully explain her dad's impact on her, whether it be intended lessons or the osmosis of being of immersed in the coaching existence. Briana was 4 months old when Mark took the Green job after three seasons as Ravenna's head coach. She's experienced the highs and lows of the profession. She's seen the preparation, work ethic and long hours the job requires. And she's felt some of the sacrifices that are made when he couldn't be at some of her own activities growing up.

And the same love for coaching that grasps her father is taking hold of her.

The coaching bug didn't nab just her.

Briana's younger sister, Kelsey, is a junior thrower for Ashland University's track and field team. She was an NCAA Division II All-American last season in the outdoor hammer throw. Kelsey Kinsley already is coaching the throwers for Ontario High School in her spare time.

As for how her own coaching style compares to her dad's, Briana said, laughing, "I would hope I'm a little more calm than my dad at times, but I don't think I can say that for sure."

Like father, like daughter.

"Yeah, she's a little fiery. I don't know where she gets that from," Mark Kinsley said with a chuckle. "She gets after them.

"She does have some fire to her, but she's positive with them and coaches them. I think that's part of the respect she gets from the boys. She's out there fighting for them and really pushing them and trying to make them better."

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com 

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Daughter of Green's Mark Kinsley coaching 7th-grade boys basketball