Big shoes to fill in Tigers softball

EPHRATA – With the recent retirement of Ephrata softball head coach Heather Wood, the program will have to look for a new head coach for the first time since 2002. According to athletic director Bryan Johnson, the new coach will have big shoes to fill. 

“Heather has done a lot over the years for the softball program and just created a really positive and competitive culture that won't be easy to replace,” Johnson said.  

While at Ephrata, Johnson said Wood did a lot behind the scenes in addition to coaching softball. He said she helps manage the facilities, works with the youth programs and teaches at Ephrata High School. According to Johnson, she will remain the coach of the cheerleading team.  

According to Johnson, interviews will begin once the school year begins in August. He said somewhere between August and September, they hope to name a new head coach of the Tigers softball team. When looking at candidates, Johnson hopes to find someone who is able to carry on with what Wood was able to build in her tenure.  

One of the more important qualities the district is looking for, he said, is someone to continue building a positive culture. 

“With softball, it's a great sport that teaches life lessons on and off the field, and so I think that's very important to us as an athletic department, just creating a positive culture,” he said.

Ephrata administrators want someone who will also keep the team competitive year to year, he said. Wood was able to make the Tigers competitive. In her last season with the program, she helped the Tigers reach the state tournament for the third time in the last seven seasons.  

Johnson hopes the next coach can both keep a strong culture and up the Tigers’ competitive game, without one compromising the other. 

“We want to keep doing that and build on that, I think you can do both, I've seen it done, so just creating a competitive and a high-character type of program, (we want) someone that can accomplish those things,” Johnson said.  

Some of the challenges Johnson anticipates are finding candidates with similar years of experience coaching softball, especially at the high school level. Finding candidates who want to teach in the high school, in addition to coaching, has been hard to find lately, he said.  

Johnson said he hopes to find someone who will take the learning curves of coaching in stride, too.  

“There's just a lot of things to be in a head coach role, from fundraising to all the WIAA rules and policies we have to follow, and school district policies, league rules and all that,” he said.  

Johnson said it's a possibility that coaches from Wood's staff could throw their name into consideration, but could not confirm any names. 

For anyone interested in applying for the head coach role on the Tigers softball team, the posting can be found on the school district's website: www.ephrataschools.org.  

    Former Tigers softball head coach Heather Wood talks with a player in the dugout during a game last season. Wood retired as head coach of the softball team after 22 years with the team.
  

    Tigers Jaemyson Durfee steps up to bat in a game against Othello last Spring. The Tigers are looking to fill the head coach position following Heather Wood’s retirement after leading the team to a state tournament appearance.
  

    Tigers Kaydence Hector slides into third base during a state tournament game last Spring. Athletic director Bryan Johnson said he is hopeful their next head coach carries on a winning tradition and high character culture that Heather Wood built in her tenure.