Q&A: Hoover High Coaching Job a Homecoming For Abbey Allerding

The girls basketball team now has one of its own in the driver’s seat — Abbey (Moore) Allerding of North Canton. The Hoover High grad just landed the position of varsity coach.

Her Viking roots set her apart from the rest of the candidates who vied to fill the position, which opened when .

“What stood out for us more than anything was that she was a Hoover kid and it was a great opportunity for her to come home,” Athletic Director Don Shimek said.

Allerding took a few minutes to talk to North Canton Patch this week about coming back to her alma mater and her expectations for her first year coaching at Hoover High.

North Canton Patch: Tell me about your coaching and basketball experience.

Abbey Allerding: I coached two years as a graduate assistant at Malone University and then coached the past two year at Perry High School and also played in college. And I’m really excited to be coming home and to be able to coach at Hoover.

North Canton Patch: What attracted you to this job?

Allerding: I’m just so excited to be coming home. That was something that was a main attraction — just to be home in the North Canton community and to get to know these girls and their families. At the same time I will miss all the girls at Perry and the relationships I built there.

North Canton Patch: Can you tell me a little more about what it’s like to come back to your alma mater and be in a little different position you were when you were playing ball here?

Allerding: It's just an honor to come home and to be able to coach at the same place that I played, and I’m just looking forward to giving these girls some of the same opportunities that I had. It’s very exciting to get to move into this new adventure and to know that I’m helping them grow not only in basketball, but in life.

North Canton Patch: Do you have any expectations you’ve set for yourself or your team, heading into your first year coaching at Hoover?

Allerding: I think it’s important to recognize that we have a ton of work to do. There are a lot of very good teams in this division. I think we need to set our sights on working very hard to continue to improve.

North Canton Patch: How would you describe your coaching style?

Allerding: I think that I try to connect with the girls, push them and challenge them to be the best players and the best people that they can be.