Girls basketball: Morris takes over at Lebanon, aims to build ‘PRIDE’ culture

LEBANON — Kimar Morris saw progress taking hold at Hamilton. He also saw an opportunity he believed could accelerate the next step in his coaching journey.

That combination ultimately led Morris to Lebanon, where he has been selected as the Lady Warriors’ next head varsity girls basketball coach.

Lebanon officials announced the hire as the start of a new chapter for the program, citing Morris’ reputation in the Cincinnati basketball community and a holistic approach centered on skill development, unity, character and academic excellence. The Warriors are coming off a 5-18 season.

Morris arrives after two seasons at Hamilton, where he helped stabilize a struggling program and began rebuilding it from the inside out. During his tenure, Hamilton matched its previous five-year win total, reflecting measurable progress despite ongoing growing pains.

“When building a program, I wanted to get in there at Hamilton and reestablish the culture,” Morris said. “I thought we were heading in the right direction. In two years, we were able to change things and get it moving.”

The opening at Lebanon, though, presented a situation Morris felt offered a stronger foundation for continued growth.

“I just felt Lebanon was a little bit farther along,” Morris said. “Looking at the numbers, the support, the youth programs — there’s a foundation already in place. That was intriguing to me.”

Morris pointed to Lebanon’s participation numbers and structure across freshman, junior varsity and varsity levels as a key factor.

“Having numbers matters,” Morris said. “That allows you to build and sustain a program. That was something that really stood out.”

He also noted the shift from the Greater Miami Conference to the Eastern Cincinnati Conference as an opportunity for growth.

“In the GMC, night in and night out, you’re playing top-level teams,” Morris said. “You’re asking your kids to go against programs making deep tournament runs every single game. In this league, I think we can compete and grow.”

Morris has already met with Lebanon’s players and came away encouraged by the roster, which includes several multi-sport athletes.

“I love multi-sport kids, and we’ve got a lot of those,” Morris said. “A lot of them are playing soccer, lacrosse, AAU basketball. That’s huge. It shows they’re active, competitive and committed.”

He acknowledged the challenges ahead with a young team but emphasized energy and culture as immediate priorities.

“We’re going to take some lumps because we’re really young,” Morris said. “But the goal is to re-energize the community and the program. When you haven’t had the success you want, people get down. We’re going to change that.”

Morris said his approach will center on identity and consistency, with a program philosophy built around “PRIDE” — Passion, Relentless Effort, Innovation, Discipline and Excellence.