BUCYRUS — The person was not seeking the job. The job sought the person.

Such was the case with the Bucyrus girls’ basketball head coaching position. Brittanie Ulmer did not initially apply for the position. But she was urged to do so by Bucyrus athletic director Kelli Williams.

The result was that Williams and the Bucyrus administration hired Ulmer to be the next leader of the Lady Redmen hoops program.

“It was late in the summer when Kelli called,” Ulmer said. “I had no intention of being a high school coach. I wanted to be more of a college coach. By then, colleges had shut the door. Basketball has been my passion since I could pick up a ball and dribble. I accepted the position late summer, and the first day of practice was October 26.”

Ulmer has a basketball pedigree, having played her high school ball at Lima Bath for a successful coach, Greg Mauk, who has accumulated 400 career victories.

From there, Ulmer went on to play four years of college ball at Heidelberg, where she set the school record for made 3-point shots. Ulmer left with a bachelor’s degree in sports management and she minored in communications when she graduated this past spring.

“Coach Mauk taught me more than basketball,” Ulmer said. “He taught me life lessons and he helped me get into Heidelberg.”

Ulmer has stayed involved with basketball through AAU. She has been head coach for Showtime AAU, a girls’ team of high school juniors organized by veteran coach John Cahill at Fremont Ross. Cahill is the current boys’ head coach at Ross.

So, while this is Ulmer’s first high school head coaching job, she has had experience coaching high school girls.

“She has a lot of basketball knowledge,” Williams said. “She was a good high school player, a good college player. You learn a lot about basketball playing for good people.”

Ulmer comes into the Bucyrus program with eyes wide open. The Redmen have gone 3-46 over the last two years with only one Northern 10 Athletic Conference win.

“I knew they weren’t a top-tier, elite team,” Ulmer said. “I like the idea of being the underdog. My goal is not only to improve the girls as basketball players, but as young women.”

Ulmer does get one advantage. Her varsity assistant coach, Tim Wagner, coached the incoming freshmen in both seventh and eighth grade and they were N10 champions both years.

“Tim and I have a great relationship,” Ulmer said. “We have a great way of bringing a different coaching style.”

Ulmer sees Buckeye Central and Seneca East as the teams to beat this year, but she is confident that, with the young talent she has, things will begin to turn around at Bucyrus.

“Having a bunch of average players may be better than having 2-3 great players,” Ulmer said. “There are a lot of veteran coaches out there (in the N10). We’re all kind of learning along the way.”

Ulmer’s roster has been thinned by some injuries, but she seems undaunted.

“The home opener is in a week and we’re ready to go,” Ulmer said. “I hope we can have fans in the gym.”

“She knows how to help young girls learn basketball,” Williams said of her new coach. “She is enthusiastic and wants to help the girls. All these things made us excited about her.”

If enthusiasm counts for anything, success is all but assured for Ulmer. She has no where to go but up.