Stony Point’s Thompson, Vandegrift’s Litton lead the Capital City’s new generation of coaches

By Michael Adams
madams@onthesidelinessports.com

A new generation of coaches are changing the Greater Austin Metro Area’s basketball landscape.

In her first year as the head coach, Cedar Park’s Kami Williamson led the Lady Timberwolves on an improbable run to the UIL girls basketball Class 5A state tournament.

Lake Travis head coach Brandon Shaver led the Cavalier boys to the regional semifinals in his first year… the list goes on and on.  

More All-Austin Metro awards

• Mr. & Miss Austin Basketball
• Boys individual award winners
• Boys Class 6A, 5A and 4A-below all-metro teams
• Girls individual award winners
• Girls Class 6A, 5A and 4A-below all-metro teams

But two coaches stood out above the rest: Second-year Stony Point head coach Antoine Thompson and first-year head coach Tiffany Litton of Vandegrift.

Litton and Thompson are the inaugural All-Austin Metro basketball girls and boys coaches of the year, respectively. The complete On the Sidelines Sports’ All-Austin Metro basketball teams and individual award winners will be announced on Monday, March 18.

All-Austin Metro Girls Basketball Coach of the Year

Tiffany Litton, Vandegrift

Litton was hired in spring of 2023 as the fifth head girls basketball coach in Vandegrift school history. Litton inherited a program that went 41-49 in three years under Marlee Webb and made two playoff appearances.

The Lady Vipers did a complete 180-degree turnaround in Litton’s first year, tying the school record for most wins (25) and having the best overall season (25-10, .714 winning percentage) in the school’s 14-year history. In the year prior, Vandegrift’s girls basketball team was 8-25 and 1-13 in District 25-6A.

Moreover, Litton coached the Lady Vipers to their first playoff victory since 2020 and the fifth all-time, and she did it starting two freshmen and a junior.

All-Austin Metro Boys Basketball Coach of the Year

Antoine Thompson, Stony Point

In just his second year at the helm of Stony Point’s boys basketball program, Thompson led the Tigers to a second consecutive appearance in the Class 6A-IV regional tournament, and the school’s first ever appearance in a state championship game.

“We’ll be back,” Thompson said after the Tigers 53-41 loss to Plano East in the state championship game. “We have a relentless pursuit of excellence. For a group that’s never been here, a program that’s building, this is something that’s going to fuel our program.”

Thompson has changed the culture at Stony Point in just a short time, going 70-4 in two seasons and back-to-back District 25-6A championships. In fact, Thompson has yet to lose a district basketball game as the Tigers’ head coach.

This season, Stony Point won a school-record 38 games with only two losses, both of which were to the state champion Plano East. The Tigers only lose three seniors from this year’s team, including Villanova signee Josiah Mosley, Junior Goodlet and Alan Guyton Jr.