From the time she was a young girl, Jana Killen knew she wanted to teach. At just eight years old, she was already helping neighborhood children learn to read. While many kids might pretend to play school, Killen took it a step further—actually teaching a five-year-old neighbor how to read using first-grade books passed down from her great-aunt, a first-grade teacher. “I have always loved teaching,” Killen recalled. “Even when I was very young, I actually taught two neighborhood kids how to read. I was probably eight, and they were probably five.” That early love for education stayed with her through high school, where she found inspiration in her teachers and coaches. One teacher, in particular, left a lasting impact which is her volleyball coach, who also taught biology and physical education. “She was a great teacher and a great coach, just a great role model,” Killen said. “She always looked like she was having fun and enjoying it, and that really inspired me.”
When asked about her team practices during her playing days, Killen described them as intense and fast-paced. “At Lawrence County High, we were a close-knit group, and our coaches were tough,” Killen said. “My high school basketball coach, Garnerries Hill, pushed us hard. There was a lot of running, a lot of defense. That’s what our practices looked like.” Beyond team practices, Killen was always playing. Growing up in a neighborhood filled with boys, she sharpened her skills in constant pickup games. “I had an older brother who was three years older than me, and there were probably eight boys in the neighborhood plus me,” she said. “We played basketball until Mom called us in for the night. Back then, you didn’t really have trainers like kids do now—we just played. And when you’re small and playing against bigger, stronger boys, you learn to be creative.” Killen’s family played a significant role in her development as a player. “My dad worked with me every day when he got home from work,” she said. “Not in a gym, but we had a nice court, and he would be out there with me. My mom, even my grandmother and granddaddy, would rebound for me. My whole family did whatever they could to help me be the best player possible.”
Killen’s basketball journey led her to the University of North Alabama, where she played under Coach Wayne Bird. “What attracted me to UNA? Coach Bird,” Killen said. “He recruited me, and from the first time I met him, I knew I wanted to play for that man. He was driven, obsessed with basketball, and you could just see the love of the game in him. I wanted to play for him.” UNA’s proximity to her home in Lawrenceburg was an added bonus, but Bird’s influence was the deciding factor. “His work ethic was on another level,” Killen said. “That shaped me. I’m not saying I’m the smartest coach, but I will work hard, and I think he instilled that in me.”
Throughout her career, certain games stood out—some for their excitement, others for their heartbreak. “There was a game in the Sweet 16 that we hosted at UNA,” Killen said. “If we had won, we would have gotten on a plane and traveled, I think to Maryland, for the Elite Eight.” The game went into double overtime. In regulation, Killen attempted a shot and had it blocked. “Coach Bird told me, ‘Don’t drive in there anymore,’” she said, laughing. But with the clock winding down, her team was hesitant to shoot. “I drove in again, took the same shot, and made it to send us into overtime,” Killen said. “Of course, then it was a ‘good shot.’ We ended up losing in double overtime, and that was heartbreaking, but it stuck with me.” Another memorable moment was a road trip to Valdosta during an ice storm. “We left before the storm hit and were sitting by the pool in Valdosta while everyone back home was snowed in,” Killen said. “Those were the only two games of my college career that my parents missed because they were stuck in the snow.”
Like many athletes, Killen had pregame rituals, particularly in high school. “I always ate a grilled cheese sandwich, listened to two songs, and read my Bible before every game,” she said. “One song was a gospel song by The Kellys, a group from Lawrenceburg, and the other was ‘Wild Thing.’” In 2022, Killen was inducted into the UNA Athletic Hall of Fame—a moment that caught her by surprise. “Jeff Hodges came over with a sign, and all the girls lured me into the weight room,” Killen said. “It was a big surprise, and I was very honored.”
Today, as a coach, Killen still feels the thrill of the game—just in a different way. “I think I’ll always miss playing, but the great thing about coaching is that you get to play through every player,” Killen said. “Every possession, I take personally. If they mess up, I feel like I messed up by not preparing them enough. And when they succeed, I feel that joy with them.” Coaching, she says, is fulfilling. “You hear parents say they’re living through their kids,” Killen said. “As a coach, I get to live through every kid on the team. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Reflecting on her journey, Killen is grateful for those who helped her along the way. “I couldn’t have asked for better parents or a better brother to support me,” she said. “You can’t play basketball alone. My high school teammates, my college teammates—especially at the college level, you have to have them. And now, as a coach, I’ve worked with great assistant coaches, like Sharon Garrison, who has been with me for the whole time, and former players who are now coaching alongside me.” Killen knows firsthand how challenging and rewarding coaching can be. “It’s hard,” she said. “Coaching and teaching are hard because when those kids feel pain, you feel pain. But it’s fulfilling. And at the end of the day, I love what I do.”