Starnes Digital
Chelsea's girls varsity head coach Jason Harlow accepts the runner-up trophy after the Chelsea vs. Park Cross AHSAA 6A State Championship game on Mar. 1, 2025 at the Birmingham Legacy Arena. Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Chelsea High School will be tasked with replacing its most successful girls basketball coach.
Jason Harlow was approved as the next Homewood High girls basketball coach Tuesday evening, following seven years as the Chelsea head coach.
Harlow led the program to unprecedented heights over the last seven years. The Lady Hornets played in the regional final in four of the last five years, including two trips to the state final four and a state runner-up trophy this past season.
“There are certain schools that you view as being ‘everything’ schools,” Harlow said of Homewood. “They’re great academically and great athletically. Homewood has always been one of those schools I’ve had that feeling about, and it would take a place like that to convince me to leave behind something like Chelsea.”
Chelsea reached the regional tournament in each of Harlow’s seven seasons, something accomplished only twice in program history before he took over.
“What it means is that I was consistently surrounded by exceptional people,” Harlow said. “I was really fortunate that I ran into a group of exceptional kids that really bought into what we were selling as a coaching staff.”
Harlow’s teams posted a 172-55 record in his time at Chelsea. He takes over for Gavin King, who coached the Lady Patriots for the last four seasons and took the team to its first regional tournament appearance in five years this past season.
Harlow noted his family and two younger children as components to the decision, as Homewood is closer to home. He had nothing but positive things to say about his time at Chelsea. He expressed appreciation to the Homewood administration for their professionalism during the hiring process and to the Chelsea and Shelby County Schools administration for being supportive of his program over the years.
"I’m so proud of what we’ve been able to build over the last seven years and what we were able to accomplish here, along with the relationships I was able to make with quality people," Harlow said.
