The Oklahoman will announce its Super 5 and All-State girls basketball teams on April 7.

With that date approaching, it’s time to meet the candidates for girls basketball Coach of the Year.

Across the state, coaches made program history, ended state title droughts and compiled impressive winning streaks. After a review of these accomplishments, three coaches have emerged as finalists for the award.

Here they are, in alphabetical order:

Kayla Denton, Idabel

The story: Denton guided Class 3A Idabel to its first state title in program history, and it was no easy climb. After defeating Adair in the state quarterfinals, Idabel met three-time defending state champion Jones. Idabel had fallen to Jones in the past two state tournaments, but this time, Idabel’s 45-33 victory kept Jones from securing a four-peat. In the finals, second-ranked Idabel downed No. 1 Washington, 64-56. Denton led Idabel to a 27-1 record, including regular-season victories against 5A state finalist Sapulpa, 4A state semifinalist Douglass and 6A state quarterfinalist Bixby.

More: Class 3A girls basketball: Idabel beats Washington for first state championship

Jennifer Douglas, El Reno

The story: El Reno had reached the Class 5A state tournament for six of the past seven seasons, but a gold ball eluded Douglas and her team. This year, they changed that. Douglas led El Reno to its first state title in program history, capping a dominant undefeated season. El Reno was the only team in any classification of Oklahoma high school boys or girls basketball to end the season with a perfect record. Maximizing the fortés of her balanced team, Douglas guided El Reno to first-place finishes in the Harrah Tournament, Anadarko Tournament and Shawnee Tournament before claiming the 5A crown. El Reno triumphed over defending state champion Sapulpa, 48-41, in the state finals.

More: Class 5A girls basketball: El Reno topples defending champion Sapulpa for first title

Ja’Ron Jefferson, Putnam West

The story: Jefferson and Putnam West spread their spotlight beyond Oklahoma. Putnam West finished the season as the sole Oklahoma high school girls basketball team in ESPN’s SCNext national rankings, standing at No. 23. Building Putnam West’s game around cohesive, disruptive defense, Jefferson guided his team to not one, but two victories against a powerhouse: two-time defending Class 6A state champion Edmond North, led by reigning Coach of the Year Pete Papahronis. The Patriots were the only team to defeat Edmond North all season. With a 41-40 victory over the Huskies in the Class 6A finals, Putnam West claimed its first state title since 1981. Jefferson guided Putnam West through a 27-1 season with first-place finishes in the Putnam City Invitational and the Jenks/Union Invitational.

More: Class 6A girls basketball: Putnam West dethrones Edmond North for first title since 1981

Hallie Hart covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Hallie? She can be reached at hhart@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @halliehart. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Hallie's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS basketball: 2024 All-State girls coach of year candidates