Head coach Abby Talley directed the Chaparrals women's basketball program to a championship in her debut season of 2022-23 and successfully led COD in its first-year as a Division II scholarship program in 2023-24.
The one-time high school coach took over a program in 2022-23 that needed direction and she delivered in a big-time way with COD winning its first Region 4 title in 15 seasons and helping the Chaps to within a game of reaching the NJCAA Division III National Championship tournament.
COD finished 2022-23 with a 15-16 record and reached the Great Lakes District title game, where the Chaps ended their season against the defending national champion Owens Community College Express.
Talley earned Region 4 Coach of the Year honors and the Chaps were led by All-Region standout and N4C Player of the Year Katlyn Allen and fellow All-Region players Mykah Berkompas and Sierra Gibson.
Additionally, Talley was honored by the NJCAA with its inaugural Battles Won Coaches Award, given to the coach who proved perseverance in overcoming adversity. Talley is a stage 3 breast cancer survivor and successfully underwent chemotherapy during the first half of her first season at COD.
Talley spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Romeoville HS and served in a number of capacities within the program since graduating from the school in 2013. She returned home each summer to assist with its summer camp program under head coach Devin Bates while she attended and played at NCAA Division II McKendree University.
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Talley played all four years of college basketball at McKendree, where she earned her bachelor's degree in exercise science. She was a four-time academic all-conference selection for the Bearcats.
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She holds a master's degree from Grand Canyon University in special education. She taught at Romeoville High School from 2019-21.
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She and her husband Brandon are the parents of three-year old daughter Leia and make their home in Romeoville.Â
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