Faith Christian Girls - Departing Coach DJ Layton
LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- (Updated 3/5) Word today that longtime Coach DJ Layton will not be returning for an eighth season. Unconfirmed reports that top two players have decided to transfer. No names given, but if one of those happens to be Coach Layton’s daughter - 5-9 PG jr-2-b Maya Layton (25PPG, 5RPG, and 4APG) all bets are off. So incoming coach should just consider this a rebuild. Faith Christian has been a Sectional Tourney participant since 2013, but has yet to advance to Regionals. Although they did advance to the title game in 2023, the Eagles have been in the lowest of lows. A zero win season, a 1-20, and another 2-19 go round that saw Faith get blown out bo 30-40+. However, the class that surrounds Coach Layton’s daughter has put those times behind them. Now, with coach’s departure, and most likely her daughter as well, how many of those will seek greener pastures as well? Considering tuition is $7900 a year (err, $1800 with what is now being called a “Choice Scholarship” - courtesy of Indiana State House,) incoming coach would seem to need what some would call a magnetic personality to have prospective student athletes choose the Eagles. Since there is presently no NIL money at the high school level yet, that could be a challenge. Good Varsity Club member reports the pretty standard two sets of private school athletes. One: Families that have attended since grade school Two: Trophy hunters. New coach will have to deal with both and the respective challenges that go with each. FC is in the Midwest Athletic Conference: West Central, Tri-County, Demotte Christian, Frontier, North White, North Newton, and South Newton. Several teaching positions expected at all levels 1-12, but pay is well below public school counterparts. (Updated 4/23) Good Varsity Club member reports Trinity Wilburn has enrolled at McCutcheon. Maya Layton starts at Lafayette Jeff today. Mixed messages on whether Faith is trying to hold them. One says they are, but Trinity will be ok since she sit out all of this year. Same story on Maya, but she did not sit out this year. He did go on to say that they will still be Sectional contenders depending on the new alignments.
