This weekend CHSAA Monsignor Scanlan Crusaders announced that Mercedes Dukes has been named the new Head Coach of the Girls basketball team. Dukes is an alumni of Monsignor Scanlan and served as an assistant coach for the past eight seasons. Dukes is also responsible for a lot of the success the program has had that includes multiple championships and the development of several collegiate prospects.

NYCHoops.net spoke with Dukes about her new position, “I been an assistant coach at Monsignor Scanlan for eight years this will be my ninth season. I’m going to tip it off as the head coach this year.”

Dukes is a St Johns alumni Class of 2006, the coach spoke about her collegiate career and professional one that led her into a coaching career, “After St Johns I played basketball in Puerto Rico for two years. Then after that I started developing my professional coaching career at Monsignor Scanlan.”

So, will Dukes bring her own signature style to the Crusaders? “This is going to be a drastic change obviously for the girls. Especially the ones returning. But it is going to be regular in an extent because I was already there with them. So now it is just me being in the driver’s seat. I do not plan on changing too much but I am giving it my own little twist. A lot of training, conditioning, and a lot of team bonding. Building our relationship on and off the court.”

The Crusader girls’ team will learn about their new head through a zoom meeting, “We are going to have our first zoom meeting this afternoon they just wanted to make the announcement. I spoke with a few parents previously to notify them, so we did not have any sudden scares. They all seem excited and we are all on board with the transition,” said Coach Dukes.

This fall season will be a big adjustment for everyone in sports with the virus still looming. Coach Dukes spoke about what she has planned, “We are definitely going to comply with state regulations and school administration rules. Hopefully, they will have a full-fledged plan for us when we return.”

Currently, the coach is still working with her girls and helping them stay conditioned, “For now we have been doing zoom workouts with the girls keeping them conditioned. We try to do it at least three times a week. This has built a rapport and culture that we have not had in the past. But it is something new that were going to add to the transition now that everyone is quarantine. Moving forward it will be safety first gloves, and a mask. I am just trying to keep the girls safe, clean, and healthy.”