David Rebibo has been named interim program head for the Harvard-Westlake girls basketball team and Alex Nailes will take on the role of interim head coach for the girls team, the school announced Thursday afternoon.
Wolverines girls basketball coach Melissa Hearlihy announced her retirement from coaching on Aug. 5 after spending 24 years at Harvard-Westlake.
Rebibo will continue as the program head and head coach for the school’s boys basketball team during the 2024-25 season.
The school will conduct a search for a permanent program head for girls basketball at the end of the season.
“We received significant interest in our Girls’ Basketball Program Head position and our candidate pool was strong,” Terry Barnum, Head of Athletics at Harvard-Westlake, said in a press release.
“However, given the timing of the position becoming available, we did not feel we could conduct a thorough interview process and give our new coach the best chance for success this season.”
Nailes has served as an assistant boys basketball coach at Harvard-Westlake since 2022. He and Rebibo led the Wolverines to a 33-3 overall record last season and won the CIF Southern Section Open Division championship and the CIF State Open Division championship.
“I have been a supporter from the stands of these athletes for years and I’m excited to work with this team of exceptional young women and athletes,” Nailes said. “A big thank you to Terry Barnum, the athletic department, and Coach Rebibo for this amazing opportunity.”
Hearlihy led the 2022-23 team to its first CIF state title since 2010. She won two state championships, four CIF-SS championships (two in the Open Division) and nine Mission League titles. She ended her career with 839 wins, which is second in state history for girls basketball.
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