SANDPOINT — Former University of Montana star Madi Schoening is ready to take over the coaching reigns of her alma mater.

The 2016 Sandpoint High graduate, most recently a four-year assistant coach of the girls basketball program, has been promoted to head coach — a move made official by Sandpoint High administrators earlier this month.

Schoening, also a now former assistant coach of the girls soccer program, said when the position became available, she had no hesitation or second thoughts about throwing her hat in the ring.

"This is something I've always wanted to do, so it's a bittersweet feeling," Schoening said about accepting the position when offered. "Even in high school, I always thought coaching was in my future ... I knew I had to get some years under me to learn and I think coaching both basketball and soccer double-timed that for me."

The Lady Bulldogs compiled a 66-32 record, including a 4A (now 5A) State Championship in 2023, over the last four years under now head boys basketball coach Will Love. Schoening, a fourth grade teacher at Washington Elementary during the day, said she's learned a lot about the ins and outs of coaching from Love as well as from her fiancé, former Timberlake High standout and now head boys baseball coach and assistant football coach Bryce Johnson.

"It's definitely sad not being able to coach with Will anymore, but I'm excited to take advantage of the opportunity," Schoening said. "Coach Love took a lot of opportunities to teach me the 'behind the scenes' aspects of the job and said he would help me out wherever needed. As for Bryce, he's been a great resource to bounce off of. I have been working really hard over the years to learn as much as I could."

Schoening is planning to bring back Joe Fata as her assistant coach. Practices officially started Monday of this week and Schoening said numbers have been phenomenal. 

"I feel very supported and received a warm welcome from the team," Schoening said. "The opportunity for the girls to get to play for female coach, especially as an alumni, means a lot to me personally. The investment into our younger generations to build the program is something I'm really going to be putting a lot of work into."

During her years at Sandpoint High, Schoening led the Lady Bulldogs to third-place finishes at the 4A State Championship during both her junior and senior seasons, years in which she was named the Inland Empire League MVP. The former 5-foot, 9-inch forward amassed 1,418 career points, which ranks No. 2 in school history, and put up 19.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 1.8 assists per game during her senior season. She holds the school record for the most points scored in a game, netting 49 in a game against Lakeland.

Additionally, Schoening led the Lady Bulldogs to two 4A State Championship soccer titles during her sophomore and junior seasons. She was named the Inland Empire League Defensive MVP as a junior and the overall MVP as a senior. As if that wasn't enough, she also grabbed a fifth-place podium finish in the long jump at the 4A State Championship track & field competition as a junior.

While a Griz, she was a four-year starter, making 99 career starts over 109 games played. Over those 109 games she averaged 7.3 points per game on 35.1% shooting from the field and 76.3% shooting from the charity stripe. She tallied 792 points, 519 rebounds, 122 assists, 96 steals and 24 blocks across 2,580 minutes played at Montana.