Bryan Hanan knew some people thought he was crazy when he gave up the head coaching job at Southport to move to Warren Central High School four years ago.

Count among them longtime Center Grove boys tennis coach Ivan Smith, Hanan’s coach when he played tennis at the school before graduating in 1992.

“Why are you going there?” Hanan said he remembers Smith asking him.

Hanan is glad he didn’t listen to his mentor. He’s led the Warriors to the first girls tennis sectional titles in the school’s history during the past two years, and with a veteran team again this year, the Warriors just may make it three in a row.

“I just thought this place was a sleeping giant,” said Hanan, who also was an assistant at Greenwood earlier in his career. "I didn’t think the kids had been pushed too much.

“With 3,000 students and three middle school teams, I figured there always would be numbers. The key would be to get them to come in and put in the work.”

Hanan also credits former Warren Central athletic director Doug Seagraves, who resigned earlier this school year, for making tennis a priority at the school.

Warren had missed out on the Metropolitan Interscholastic all-sports trophy in the past because its tennis teams struggled so much, and Seagraves wanted to change that, Hanan said.

The new coach also was pleased to find the Warren players, especially a talented freshman class, were eager to train year-round and also play in junior tennis events.

“The parents jumped on board pretty quick, which surprised me,” Hanan said.

Katie Poole, then a freshman and now a senior, said the response to Hanan’s increased demands was positive.

“I liked it,” said Poole, who has played both No. 1 and No. 2 singles this year. “I knew I would probably get better. None of our middle school coaches were serious players like (Hanan).”

Then-freshman and now senior Chrissy Hopp had an older brother play tennis at Warren Central. She was hoping to have a better experience.

“They were horrible,” she said. “The team was falling apart. They were always changing coaches. I was so excited (to try something different).”

But it hasn’t always been easy.

“It’s been kind of tough,” Poole said. “He’s a really good coach, and we have fun. But we really have to work hard, or we’re going to run.”

Danielle Royce is the other senior who’s been with Hanan all four years.

“I knew them as a freshman, and with their work ethic, I knew we would have a really good team if we could find two or three more players,” Hanan said.

The Warriors also have received a boost this year from junior Larissa Pittman, who improved her game enough to challenge Poole for the No. 1 singles spot. The two continue to battle for it.

Warren Central will play in the Lawrence North Sectional again this year, which also has Arlington, Guerin Catholic, Lawrence Central, Scecina and the host Wildcats.

Hanan said earning a three-peat will be difficult, especially considering the Warriors will be without Jordan Barton, a stellar No. 3 player who gave up tennis to concentrate more on basketball. He expects Lawrence Central and Lawrence North to be formidable.

He also hopes to eventually finish in the top four of the MIC, a stellar girls tennis conference. Four of the top nine in the current Indiana state coaches poll are MIC schools, led by No. 4 Carmel.

“It’s one of the best tennis conferences around the Midwest and maybe in the country,” Hanan said. "We tell the kids not to judge how they do against it because it’s so tough.

“But at least now, we go out and expect to compete instead of just going out and saying, ’Let’s do lunch.’ "