New Farmington High girls basketball coach Tara Ferrin played under legendary Utah high school girls coach Van Price at Layton High, was on the sidelines with him for three seasons of his 30-year tenure with the Lancers and is now replacing him as head of the Phoenix program.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to coach at Farmington High,” Ferrin said. “The administration is very supportive at the school and I am excited to work with the girls. I am looking forward to the opportunity to coach the girls.”

“We are very excited about Coach Ferrin taking over our girls basketball program,” said Farmington High Athletic Director Kasey Walkenhurst. “She has hit the ground running with the girls and they seem to have a great rapport with her. Obviously, taking over a program after a legend like Van Price is always hard, but she played for him and learned a lot from him. We think she will do an amazing job making this program her own.”

Ferrin, who still coaches soccer at Layton High, was a three-sport star for the Lancers – playing soccer, basketball and softball. She went on to the next level in basketball at Utah Valley for two years before switching sports and playing Division I soccer at Weber State. “Both opportunities were amazing and I loved the opportunity to play both sports at the collegiate level,” she said. “Once I began teaching, I knew that I wanted to coach. I truly enjoy working with the girls in a different setting than the classroom. I was given so many opportunities to improve as a player and person through sports, that I want to give that opportunity to others. I was blessed to be able to play multiple sports in high school and college and I want to share what I have learned from my mentors and teammates.”

She employs a culture of hard work and five values – of trust, ambition, positivity, integrity and toughness – within her program. “My philosophy is to develop a team that works hard on and off the court for each other,” she said. “I don't look at the outcome of the game to determine the success of the team, I look at what we as a team can control and that is our effort. Win or lose, if we put forth the effort, then we are winners.”