James Halitzka poses with his girls’ basketball team after Bergman won the Tournament of Champions in Fort Smith in December 2023.
Nearly 3 1/2 months after being hired by the Greenwood School Board, the former Bergman girls basketball coach is departing the Lady Bulldogs’ basketball program. According to a report from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, James Halitzka cited “minor health issues” when he announced his resignation on Friday.
Halitzka was hired as the new head girls’ basketball coach at Greenwood High School after his predecessor, Clay Reeves, announced his retirement in May. Reeves had just led the Lady Bulldogs to their second consecutive Class 5A state championship, and he finished his career with more than 800 victories.
Halitzka had accepted the position at Greenwood after leading the girls’ basketball teams at Bergman for 10 years. In March, the Lady Panthers won their second state championship in three years after beating Salem 56-33 for the Class 3A title. Halitzka was later named the Class 3A coach of the year for the second time by the Arkansas Basketball Coaches Association.
Bergman also won the Class 3A state championship under Halitzka’s leadership in 2022. The Lady Panthers finished that season with a record of 43-0.
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