Coffey aims to elevate Ladybirds softball program

By G. MICHAEL GRAHAM

Fort Thomas Matters Sports Reporter

The belief for great things starts with the head coach.

New Highlands Ladybirds Head Softball Coach Rob Coffey has high expectations for the program and the search committee saw that enthusiasm. The committee consisted of Principal Brian Robinson, Director of Athletics Dale Mueller and Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Baioni. The hiring became official Monday.

“We think we’re in position to not only win the (Ninth) Region, but battle for state championships,” Mueller said. “There’s a lot of young girls who are fired up in Fort Thomas and are excellent, college-scholarship players. Rob is looking to have a year-round softball program so the girls can develop their skills all year. He’s looking to step up every aspect of the program to another level.”

Robinson said the committee reached out to teachers in the Fort Thomas Independent School District first, but none showed interest. They had several applicants before naming two finalists.

Coffey, 44, has 20 years of coaching experience that includes basketball and soccer in addition to softball. That may not include any high school experience. But Coffey started the Amateur Athletic Union organization called Gametime that he currently directs. Coffey played baseball, basketball and football during his high school years. He graduated from Highlands in 1986.

“I think with the young group we have right now, we have a chance to compete and start winning real soon,” Coffey said. “We have several talented players already in the pipeline. I’m not naive enough to think we’ll win the (Ninth) Region within the next two years. But with some training and creating some depth in the program, we should be able to compete with some of the top teams in the Ninth Region. Going forward, the biggest challenge I think we’ll have is keeping the pipeline wet.”

Coffey plans to market the program to the younger kids in Fort Thomas through camps and youth programs. He hopes to see the current players work with the youth in Fort Thomas.

Coffey takes over a team that graduated just one senior in shortstop/second baseman Brooke Hollingsworth. She batted .404.

Two returning juniors are center fielder Ashley Grosser and Kendall Turner, an outfielder, catcher or first baseman. Highlands finished 10-19 last year losing 8-2 to Newport Central Catholic in the 36th District semifinals. Grosser batted .338 and Whitney Quillen batted .309. The juniors will be expected to lead without any seniors currently on the roster.

“It’s our jobs to help teach the younger girls what to do,” Turner said. “In the past couple years, we haven’t had much drama. If we do, we typically have team meetings and we talk about stuff – what went wrong and what we can do to overcome the problem – and make sure that we stay together as a team and not let the conflict interfere with playing.”

The leading returning hitter is freshman third baseman Shelby Graybill. Graybill batted .427 with four home runs, 12 doubles, two triples with 21 runs scored and 10 walks.

Junior Karly Hamberg and sophomore Payton Leighty split pitching duties last year. Leighty was 6-12 with a 5.49 earned-run average, 50 stikeouts and 48 walks. Hamberg finished 4-7 with a 4.36 ERA, 31 strikeouts and 25 walks.

As a team, Highlands batted .297 last year. Coffey wants to see the Ladybirds bat between .350 and .400 and see the ERAs drop in the 2s.

“I think with the current crew we have now, we’re going to be pretty solid defensively,” Coffey said. “I think the next challenge for this crew is to become a more consistent hitting team. We’ll do what we have to do to score runs. But I’d prefer to see those runs coming in off base hits rather than bunting and stealing everyone around. I’m not saying I won’t play small ball when we need to.”

One of the first things Coffey did was reach out to two assistants on the 2012 staff in 2006 Highlands graduate Kara O’Hearn and 1973 alum Milt Horner. Both decided to return.

Horner will be back as the varsity assistant and O’Hearn will coach the Freshmen. O’Hearn played at Highlands under former head coach Kevin Nieporte. Horner has been an assistant since the program started in 2000 and O’Hearn will be back for her fourth year as an assistant.

“The softball program is something that has improved every single year,” O’Hearn said. “Kevin Nieporte did a really good job when he was there. Then the Donelans came in and picked up where he left off. They put in all that they could. Fastpitch softball is something that is still up and coming in Campbell County. But I think that the program has done tremendous in the past couple of years. We hope to keep up the good work with the new coaching staff.”

Coffey still has to fill in an opening for a junior varsity coach. He hopes to get some pitching experience in that spot.

“I think (Horner and O’Hearn) returning will help a lot,” Grosser said. “They’ve been in the program for a while and they know what to expect.”

Highlands plays in the Ninth Region that has been dominated by the Ryle Lady Raiders in recent years. They’ve won seven of the past eight years and faced District 33 rival Conner for the title every year except 2006 when they beat Boone County for the title.

The last time a team not from Boone County played in the region title game was 2004. Dixie Heights beat Boone County for the crown that year.

“The biggest difference between Boone County, Kenton County and Campbell County is Boone County has an established little league of players,” Horner said. “Kenton County and Campbell County have lagged far behind. We’ve spoken with other staffs and we have girls that show up in the seventh grade and we’re trying to teach them fundamentals of the game. Boone County has girls in the seventh grade that show up and are ready to play.”

Jessica Donelan, a 2003 Highlands graduate, served as head coach from 2008 to 2012 and her husband Jake, a 2001 Highlands graduate, helped out as an assistant. They resigned after the season because they are expecting their first child in January.

Highlands went 66-77 during Donelan’s five-year tenure as head coach. The Ladybirds finished 18-12 in 2008 winning the 36th District Championship and falling 7-0 to Ryle in the Region 9 semifinals. Highlands’ lone region win since the fastpitch program started came that year in a 10-0 win over St. Henry.

Highlands made the regional tournament all but this past spring winning the 36th District Tournament title again in 2011. Highlands lost in the Region Quarterfinals in 2011, 2010 and 2009.

“We were certainly blessed the past five years to have been a part of something so special,” the Donelans said. “As a staff, we always felt it was our duty to first do our part to help shape the girls into well-rounded young women who will one day be an active part of our community. Second, we wanted them to be great softball players. In reflection, it was more often that the girls had a distinct impact on our lives and how we lived them in the community. We wish Rob and the program the best of luck.”

Coffey is a Supply Manager with Fidelity Investments.

The Ladybirds start their season in March.