Jill Schneider Named 2025 Harley Redin Coaches' Award Recipient

PLAINVIEW, Tex. -- Wayland Baptist University Athletics is proud to announce that longtime Texas high school girls basketball coach Jill Schneider has been named the 2025 Harley Redin Coaches' Award recipient.
 
"I have the utmost respect for the coach and the man that Harley Redin was. I didn't have the opportunity to play for him, but I did enjoy many years of friendship with him, including some basketball trips where he was the pilot of our little 4 seat private plane," said Jill Schneider. "He was a true pioneer of our game and represented the epitome of high integrity, class, and character. To be the recipient of an award named after him is very humbling and something I will always treasure."
 
Schneider, who recently retired after an extraordinary 39-year coaching career, capped her tenure in storybook fashion by leading the Monterey Lady Plainsmen to the 2025 UIL Class 5A Division II Girls Basketball State Championship. It was the perfect finale to her 27-year run at Monterey High School, where she built one of the most respected programs in the state.
 
Before taking the helm at Monterey, Schneider spent 12 years coaching at Borger High School, laying the foundation for a career that would inspire countless athletes and coaches across Texas. Known for her unwavering commitment to excellence, leadership on and off the court, and ability to develop student-athletes into leaders, Schneider leaves behind a legacy defined by character, integrity, and championship-caliber coaching.
 
"The game of basketball has afforded me so many amazing opportunities as both a player and a coach, and it's been a journey that I sometimes have a hard time wrapping my mind around," said Schneider when reminiscing on her career.
 
"I can only hope that I impacted the lives of my athletes as deeply as they impacted mine. It was an amazing ride, and I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it."
 
Schneider's legacy extends beyond the sidelines. As a student-athlete, she was part of the legendary Wayland Baptist Flying Queens program, contributing to its storied tradition of excellence in women's basketball. Her time at Wayland helped shape the values and leadership qualities she carried throughout her decades-long coaching career.
 
"I loved everything about Wayland. I loved my teammates, my coaches, the Hutcherson family, our fans, the members of the media that covered us, our faculty, our student body, our greater Plainview community, everything," Schneider said when talking about her time as a Flying Queen.
 
"The program is so rich in history, and the early teams set the standard very high for all of us that have followed after them. Women's basketball is where it is today because of Wayland, and the other small schools like Wayland, that forged the path for women to compete in sports under less-than-ideal circumstances. And as it should be, every generation of players has continued to grow the game that the pioneers of our sport established."
 
The Harley Redin Coaches' Award, named in honor of legendary Wayland Baptist women's basketball coach Harley Redin, recognizes coaches who exemplify exceptional leadership, dedication to student-athletes, and the spirit of sportsmanship.
 
"Coach Schneider is everything this award represents," said Jim Giacomazzi, WBU Director of Athletics. "Her passion for the game, her impact on young women, and her remarkable career are truly inspiring. She is a deserving addition to the tradition of excellence this award celebrates."
 
Schneider will be formally honored at the WBU Athletic Hall of Honor ceremony on Saturday, October 4^th.