Former Freeland center returns to take over girls basketball program

Breanne Short is returning to Freeland, ready to follow in some very big footprints.

Short, 28, was named the new Freeland girls basketball coach, replacing Matt Hirschenberger, who stepped away from the program after five seasons.

Hirschenberger took over after the death of Tom Zolinski, who coached Short at Freeland and then added her to his basketball staff at Freeland.

“The reason I’m a coach is because of Tom,” Short said. “He taught me how to be a program coach, not just a varsity coach. That’s really important when you see the drop-off in athletics around the state. There are programs that can’t field a freshman team or have kids dropping out.

“When Tom was the coach, everybody wanted to play basketball, and everybody wanted to play for him. He would go to their other sporting events. He just cared about you, and that made you want to play for him.”

Short graduated from Freeland in 2014 and Concordia-Ann Arbor in 2018 with a degree in education. She joined Zolinski’s staff at Freeland before taking a job at Armada High School, becoming the team’s junior varsity coach.

After four years in Armada, Short left to become the JV coach at New Baltimore Anchor Bay.

“I want to be a program coach, just like Tom,” Short said. “You have to let the players see the value of sports and teamwork early on. You can’t wait until they’re a junior to see the value. It can be fun. It’s family. It’s community.”

Short, a 6-foot-2 center, played three seasons on the Freeland varsity, making a trip to the 2012 semifinals as part of a 22-4 season. In her junior season, the Falcons were 22-2 with a district championship before going 18-7 with another district title in her senior season.

She inherits a strong returning group of Freeland standouts, including Karie Keefer, Addie Seemann, Jenna Kowalski and Jozelyn Begick. They were 22-4 with a district title. Keefer has committed to play collegiately for Northwood University.

“I actually coached some of them when I was here when I was the seventh-grade coach,” Short said. “I’m familiar with them. I would come back and see a few games. I’m an alum. I know the team. I know what their strengths are. Since I’ve been away for five years, I can bring something new to the table.

“Even though I’m a post player, I love the fast-pace, competitive, fire-in-the-eyes coaching style. I want to grind it out to the end. That’s the way Freeland athletics always has been. That’s ingrained in my blood. I love quick passes, a fast-paced flow of the natural game, coaching players with high basketball IQs.”

She knows there is a tradition to follow. Zolinski was 244-50 in 12 seasons, with Hirschenberger going 90-28.

“Matt did a great job here,” Short said. “I think Tom set everything up, set the program in place for Matt and now for me.”

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