Marquette, MI – August 25th, 2026 – This week on The Big Local Sports Show, we welcomed new Ishpeming girls varsity basketball head coach and Northern Michigan University standout, Makaylee Kuhn, for a wide-ranging conversation about her playing career, her journey into coaching, and what comes next.
We kicked off the conversation with Kuhn’s new role at the helm of the Ishpeming girls varsity program. She gave us an inside look at how she first got involved with the Hematites, beginning at the JV level, before making the jump to varsity head coach this season. Kuhn also discussed what she has learned along the way and what made the opportunity to lead the program so appealing.
From there, we went back to where it all started. Kuhn reflected on growing up in Hilbert, Wisconsin, where she became a standout multisport athlete and first developed her love for basketball. We also talked about her path to Northern Michigan, including the recruiting process, why she ultimately chose NMU, and what drew her to Marquette.
Of course, no conversation about Kuhn’s career would be complete without diving into her historic time with the Wildcats. She made an immediate impact at NMU, earning significant minutes as a freshman, an opportunity not many first-year player receives, and explained how those early experiences helped shape the rest of her career. Kuhn’s fifth and final season at Northern Michigan became one of the most memorable chapters of her career. She broke the program’s all-time scoring record and surpassed 2,000 career points in her final game. We discussed the decision to return for that fifth season, the goal she set for herself before coming back, and what it meant to accomplish it.
Finally, we brought the conversation full circle and returned to Kuhn’s coaching journey. She talked about learning alongside two-time state championship coach, Ryan Reichel. Kuhn was part of Ishpeming’s varsity coaching staff during the Hematites state championship run this past season, giving her a first-hand look at what it takes to build a championship program.
Click this link to listen to the show!
Coming Up Next Week
As for next week’s show, we’re still putting the finishing touches on our guest lineup. Once everything is finalized, the announcement will be posted on the mediaBrew Communications Facebook page and the Big Local Sports Show Facebook page.
Big Local Sports Show will continue with its new 11:00 a.m. start time. The show will be live from Slabz Bar and Grill next Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. You can listen live on Fox Sports Marquette 105.1 and 99.9, watch the show streamed live on the mediaBrew Communications Facebook page, or catch the replay at 6:00 p.m. on 97.5 GTO.
