Northrop High School has become the sixth girls basketball coaching opening this offseason as Rashida Muhammad will not return to the program for the 2020-21 season she confirmed to Outside the Huddle on Sunday night.
“The main reason is that it is the best decision for me and my family right now in our lives,” Muhammad said. “We have many things going on and at the moment, and believed resigning was the best thing to do.”
Muhammad spent four years running the Bruin program and saw through the end of a long rebuild and more success than the Bruins had in a long time. This past season, Northrop was 15-11 led by All-Area player TiAuna White. The team advanced to the Sectional final this past season before being beaten by Carroll. The majority of the Bruin players return for next season with just one Class of 2020 senior.
The peak season for Northrop under Muhammad was in 2017-2018 when they went 20-4. In her four total years running the program, Muhammad was 63-33 but fell short of winning any titles due to the strength of Homestead, South Side and Carroll during her tenure holding her out of SAC or Sectional crowns from 2016 on. Yet, the sustained success under Muhammad transformed the Bruin program.
“It was a great run. I learned many things and I hope the girls I coached learned things as well,” Muhammad said. “I enjoyed the development many of the girls encountered. It was fun to watch the girls improve as players and individuals.”
Before Muhammad, Northrop had not had a double-digit win season in the previous four seasons. The program had just 6 winning double-digit winning seasons in the past 15 years including the four under Muhammad.
The former Rashida Ray was a long standing member of the SAC after being a three time All-SAC player while at Harding High School. She then played Division 1 basketball at Valparaiso. She indicates that her time at Northrop likely won’t be the last time you hear from her.
“I think i definitely will return at some point in the future,” Muhammad said.
This is the second girls basketball coaching opening in the SAC this offseason. It is the fourth opening in the Class 4A Sectional 5 with openings now at Northrop, DeKalb, Snider and East Noble.
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