Annie Byrne admits that she was a “bozo” when it came to her academics in high school.

But now that she’s the new women’s basketball coach at Prairie State, the Joliet Catholic graduate isn’t clowning around when it comes to having her new players hit the books.

Byrne, who coached Marian Catholic to a Class 4A state title in 2013, felt the junior college experience helped point her in the right direction. And she wants to do the same for the Pioneers.

“I committed to Western Illinois but didn’t clear the NCAA clearinghouse,” she said of her high school days. “I got a 17 (ACT score) twice. If you are a monkey, you can get an 18.

“But I was a bozo and didn’t need to do the stuff academically that I needed to do.”

Connors State, a junior college in Oklahoma, came calling, however. Things then turned around for Byrne, whose maiden name is Basic.

“I achieved wonderfully academically and athletically there and we won a national championship my freshman year,” she said. “I had a never-give-up attitude and always believed that you can accomplish what you want to accomplish and put the work in.”

She wants to instill that wisdom in her players. Prairie State athletic director Joe Belcaster said that’s what made Byrne stand out during the interview process.

“I think that’s a great connection — these student-athletes’ coach has experienced junior college the same way they have,” Belcaster said. “She can help them through this process and tell them the do’s and don’ts.

“She lived it and can say, ‘Look where I am today.’’’

After posting a 216-51 record, Byrne resigned as Marian’s coach in 2014 to become the director of operations at the Legends Sportsplex in Bourbonnais. She’s also co-founder of the Illinois Defenders girls basketball travel program. She earned a master’s degree in school leadership from Concordia after graduating from St. Xavier.

Byrne, who lives in Munster, Indiana, said she got the itch to coach again after watching daughters Lucia, 13, and Ellie, 10, play club volleyball and then seeing many of her players again in May when Marian’s 2013 girls team was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

“It was fun getting up in front of 600 people and talking about the players,” she said. “The people you see — it’s such a small world. It’s such a small arena, even though it’s a big arena in the basketball world. It brought back a lot of feelings that are close to our heart.

“I’ve been out of coaching for a long day, but I am glad I have this opportunity.”

The Pioneers won 20 games under Tanner Kuehn in 2024-25 — the program’s first 20-win season since 2013. Byrne is expecting to keep things headed in the right direction.

She confirmed that she wants to build a program that either wins a national championship or is in a position to win a national championship each season.

Before taking over at Marian, Byrne was the coach at Illinois Institute of Technology when she was only 22. Now, at age 44, she will change her style a little bit, but she won’t be a shrinking violet.

“I’ve learned that it’s really important that we build up our athletes and it’s extremely important that we lift our athletes,” she said. “But I’m also one of those coaches who will holler at someone the same way I compliment someone.

“Some players adapt to that and some players don’t. I’ve learned to embrace that. Not everyone is going to love that style, but I would rather be that aggressive coach who is very instructive.”

Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.