Imagine the task of trying to replace 691 coaching wins that covered 44 seasons and included six state championships.
That's the case this spring in softball-rich Anne Arundel County, where perennial state powers Glen Burnie, Northeast and Severna Park will be taking the field with new coaches looking to pick up where their predecessors left off.
The three schools didn't look far to find qualified candidates.
At Glen Burnie, assistant coach Doug Schreiber takes over for Bob Broccolino; Northeast turns to assistant coach Kenny Miller to succeed Marianne Shultz; and at Severna Park, former standout shortstop Meredith McAlister is now in charge after spending three years as an assistant under coach Jeff Shepherd.
All three new coaches believe the familiarity they have with their teams and the similar philosophies they share with their predecessors will help ease the transition. Still, it will be strange not seeing Broccolino, Shultz and Shepherd giving out signs down the third-base line.
"I think it's very important to have that familiarity," said Schreiber, who split the past eight seasons as the Gophers' junior varsity coach and the varsity assistant to Broccolino. "With the longevity and the success Broc had here, I think the kids coming up, the parents and the community -- everybody is looking for good things and for the success to continue. And if somebody came in completely new from the outside, I can imagine being a kid and thinking: `Who is this guy? What is he all about?' and `How's it going to be now?' Yeah, I think it's pretty important."
Aside from the paperwork, the coordinating and the delegating, the biggest adjustment going from an assistant coach to the head coach is having the final say.
"There's added pressure of having that burden on your shoulders. Before, you say what you want to say, but you knew that someone else was there to make the final decision. Now, everything falls into my lap," said Miller, who spent three seasons at Severna Park with Shepherd before spending the past six seasons with Shultz at Northeast.
So when the Eagles have the tying run on first with no outs, will Miller keep the bunt signal on after the batter has a strike on her?
That's what opposing county coaches will be trying to find out.
