Oak Park welcomes one of the most qualified and dynamic coaches in the United States: Coach April McDivitt-Schilling.

Oak Park, one of the top 5 academic schools in California, is home to a powerhouse basketball program—and it’s been left in incredible shape by Coach Will Burr who is moving on to be HC at Harvard-Westlake. Freshman point guard Ava Rogerson already looks D1-bound. Delaney White, a fierce junior guard, is also D1-ready. Joely Chadwick, a junior forward, is prepped for the next level, and Maya DeShautelle, a versatile wing, has that same D1 stamp.

I’ve followed Oak Park basketball closely since 2017, admiring standouts like brothers JD and Clark Slajchert, and the elite work of trainer Ajay Moye—formerly of Oak Park, now coaching at Valparaiso.

A Legacy Unlike No Other

April’s resume speaks for itself. In Indiana, she was Miss Indiana in high school and a HS McDonald’s All American. She was inducted into the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame last year.

Under the legendary Pat Summitt at Tennessee, April led her team to two Final Four appearances and famously outplayed Diana Taurasi in a showdown with UConn. She transferred to UCSB and led that program to its first ever sweet sixteen as well.

Click here for Erik Woods' californiapreps feature story on April

She went on to play in the WNBA and served as an assistant coach at UCSB while playing in the W in the summer. And her unmatched training expertise helped push over a dozen athletes to WNBA careers.

Later, she took over as head coach at elite Bella Vista Prep in Arizona—a basketball powerhouse on par with Sierra Canyon and IMG — winning the grind session world championship in her last year while receiving coach of the year honors.

April then served as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Dallas Wings, where she played a major role in significantly improving the team’s record. She’s also been a trusted scout for top WNBA teams for years—her eye for talent is highly sought after across the league.

Grounded Greatness

Despite her achievements, April remains humble and grounded. She’s a leader who connects deeply with her players—she sees and nurtures the full human and athletic potential in every person she works with.

April is also a devoted mom to two incredible daughters and is married to Ed Schilling, the head coach at Pepperdine University. Together, they are a true coaching power couple.

And if you’re wondering about the respect she commands—just ask WNBA stars like Satou Sabally and Arike Ogunbowale. Both have said that April positively impacted their game. Even Chris Paul chose April to coach his daughter on the elite Swish AAU circuit.

The Vision for Oak Park

Here’s what April had to say: “My hope is that I can contribute positively to the excellence at Oak Park. I’m excited to get started. My passion is to help players maximize their potential regardless of the level (youth, HS, D1, WNBA).”

The assistant coach for April at Oak Park will be none other than Kiyae’ White, a phenomenal choice. A former standout player at Auburn, Kiyae’ recently earned her Master’s in Education.

She’s also spent time coaching at Cal State Northridge and brings an impressive background, including work with the LA Lakers and other major basketball programs.

Kiyae’ is incredibly articulate, driven, and innovative. She’s one of the most promising young minds in the game today, and her future in basketball is incredibly bright.

This is going to be the must-watch squad of the year. I watch a lot of great programs, and trust me—you’ll find me in the stands at Oak Park.

It’s time. April McDivitt-Schilling is here. And greatness is coming with her.