MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The West Virginia Athletic Directors Association has announced the coaching staffs for the 2026 North-South Basketball All-Star Games. The annual contests featuring many of the top graduating basketball players in the state will be played on Friday, June 19 at the South Charleston Community Center.
The games will be played one week later than the usual spot on the calendar due to the expansions of the state softball and baseball tournaments. Rosters for the games are being finalized and will be announced by the WVADA within a few weeks.
In the girls basketball game, a pair of state champion coaches will lead the South All-Stars. 2026 Class AAAA champion Chris Murray (Parkersburg) and 2-time Class A champion Amy Chapman (Gilmer County) will make up the staff. Murray led the Big Reds to their first state title since 2019 in March. Chapman guided the Titans to a state runner-up finish in Class A this season.
John Marshall’s Brock Melko and Lincoln’s Rob Hawkins will lead the North All-Stars. Melko led the Monarchs to their first regional title and state championship appearance since 1994 last month. Hawkins guided the Cougars to the Class AA state tournament in March and he has coached nine teams to regional championships.
In the boys basketball game, five-time state champion Garland “Rabbit” Thompson (Tug Valley) and Jason Westfall (Buckhannon-Upshur) will coach the South All-Stars. Thompson guided the Panthers to their third consecutive Class A state championship in March, ending the season with a 21-5 record. Westfall led the Bucs to a 14-9 mark in the 2025-2026 season.
Eastern Panhandle coaches will guide the North All-Stars. East Hardy’s Chris Hahn and Spring Mills’ Shannon Layton both led their teams to lengthy state tournament runs last year. Hahn has led the Cougars to the Class A semifinal round in each of the last three seasons. Layton guided the Cardinals to the 2025 Class AAAA state title and a state runner-up finish last month.
