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Girls basketball: deMarigny leaving Maine West to take care of family

Due to family health issues, Maine West girls basketball coach and math teacher Kim deMarigny has resigned her posts to help with out-of-state care for her father and mother-in-law in Tennessee and Kentucky, respectively.

deMarigny has been one of most visible girls basketball coaches in Illinois the last five years, coaching Maine West to an undefeated state title (35-0) in 2019 and third place (32-2) in 2018.

In five years leading the program, deMarigny's record was a remarkable 138-12 with a sectional title every full season and five Central Suburban North titles.

In 2016, deMarigny replaced the late hall of fame Maine West girls basketball coach Derril Kipp, for whom she served as an assistant for six years.

"God was good," said deMarigny, who will leave the state with her husband (Pastor Robbie deMarigny) and children to provide family care. "He gave me some good players and it was fun times around here. I will definitely miss it. Maine West is a special place.

"I hope whoever comes in continues the tradition that Derril started and that I tried to continue. Hopefully, they'll just continue with the legacy. It's a great place with great kids."

deMarigny said she has been trying to manage her father's care, "for the past year from about 500 miles away," and it became very difficult.

"I had to make some kind of decision and my husband and I prayed about this for a while," she said. "We just think I've been away from home for 30 years and I've never lived in the same state with any of my family. I couldn't leave during the pandemic and hopefully things are going to open back up now, It's just time to get down there and be available to my family for a change."

She will take a year of leave from her teaching position.

"I'm going to see if I can get things in control during the course of this next year and see if I can come back next school year," she said. "That is the plan, We're going to re-evaluate things in about January and see if it's possible. It could happen if my dad felt better and my mother-in-law isn't any worse off. All of my family is down south (Tennessee and Kentucky)."

deMarigny's position has been posted district wide and it is open for the next two weeks.

"I'm still going to be around probably until midsummer," deMarigny added. "I probably won't be doing summer camp and summer league. But I am available if they don't hire the person they want. I am available to finish up through the summer."

deMarigny attended Christian County High School in Hopkinsville, KY, where she was a three-year varsity starter on the girls basketball team. She was also a four-year starter and star on the softball team and named to the school's athletic Hall of Fame.

deMarigny then was a three-year starter for Union University's women's basketball team in Jackson, TN. She was an academic All-American, earned all-conference honors and was team MVP. She was honored as the defensive player of the year for her conference. She also played for the Union tennis team.

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