Aahana Swrup
The 2018 sports drama film ‘The Miracle Season’ centers around the story of Kelley Fliehler, a high school volleyball player who faces a daunting state championship in the aftermath of her best friend and fellow teammate’s death. Captain and setter Caroline “Line” Found’s unexpected passing plunges her friends, family, and community into a devastating mourning. In light of the same, her varsity volleyball team, the West Trojans, remains crushed and with little hope of returning to the state-wide competition as defending champions. In this dark time, the team’s coach, Kathy Bresnahan, aka Brez, pulls the players back on their feet by inspiring them to dedicate the season to Line and carry forward her legacy by playing the game in her honor. The film is based on the true story of Iowa West High School’s 2011 run in the Women’s Volleyball State Championship. As a result, the narrative and the characters, including Kathy Bresnahan, find a basis in real-life counterparts. Naturally, fans are bound to grow intrigued by the real coach and her life.
After an Exceptional Career, Kathy Bresnahan Retired From Her Position as the Volleyball Coach at Iowa West High
Kathy Bresnahan, better known to her students as Coach Brez, had a long and varied relationship with the Iowa City West High School. She became a varsity coach at the establishment in 1987. In 2000, her career saw a brief break before she returned to coaching in 2005. Over the course of this period, the Women of Troy, aka the Women’s Volleyball team of West Trojans, thrived under her guidance. In 2010, she guided the team to its first victory at the state championship. However, tragedy struck the next year, when the star player of the team, Caroline Found, passed away on August 11, 2011. In the aftermath of her death, the West Trojans lost a key component of their foundation as grief overwhelmed their love and passion for the game. Still, Bresnahan managed to pull them out of the dark place by inspiring them to participate in the championship as a way to honor Found’s memory.
In 2011, under Bresnahan’s leadership and the joint effort of Found’s teammates, including her best friend Kelley Fliehler, the West Trojans penned a historic winning streak. In the end, they brought the State Championship trophy home as two-time consecutive winners. That same season, Bresnahan earned a number of accolades, including the 2011 National Coach of the Year and 2012 Children of Promise Coach of the Year. However, after the 2012-13 season, Bresnahan stepped down from the Head Coach position. Still, she remained a crucial part of the Iowa West City High School, taking up the job of full-time teaching at the establishment. Furthermore, her legacy as a coach continued even in her retirement. In 2015, she received an induction into the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Similarly, in 2018, the University of Wisconsin—Platteville Athletic Hall of Fame recognized her as the Masonic Lodge Teacher of the Year.
Kathy Bresnahan is a Writer and a Public Speaker
In the aftermath of Kathy Bresnahan’s retirement as a varsity volleyball coach, she went on to pursue a career as a writer. In 2018, she published her debut nonfiction sports book, ‘The Miracle Season,’ in which she pens the story of the West Trojans’ memorable 2011 State Championship victory. In a 2013 conversation with The Gazette, the former coach spoke about the project and said, “Several people have considered writing about it, and I wanted it to come from the perspective of our team.” She further added, “I guess I’d just consider it an act of love to honor Caroline, and for those kids who were on that (the 2011-2012) team.” As Bresnahan stepped into the role of an author, she also began speaking at events and sharing the reality of her and her team’s motivational story.
Although Bresnahan retired as the varsity coach at Iowa City West High, she remained an integral part of the establishment through her teaching position. Additionally, she continued participating in the institution’s “Live Like Line” annual tournaments, wherein the community would come together to honor Caroline Line’s legacy. It seems Bresnahan eventually parted ways with the Iowa City West High School in 2019. Since then, the former coach is enjoying a life in retirement, surrounded by her loving friends and family, which includes her pet dogs, Betsy and Dillion.
Read More: Caroline “Line” Found: How did the Volleyball Player Die?
