Robby Howard’s return to baseball didn’t happen without some rigorous tugging at his heartstrings.
That’s why he’s offering no guarantees for a lengthy second stint as South-Doyle High School coach.
Howard, who coached the program for 28 years before retiring in 2008, formally was hired back to the post on Thursday, ending his five-season run as the school’s softball coach.
“I’ve really got mixed emotions,” Howard said. “I really, really enjoyed coaching softball, because those girls are so special. They’re like my daughters.
“But with the time of the year, we just kind of ran out options. We’ll see how it goes. I tell my principal all the time that every time he sees somebody on ESPN who’s day-to-day, think of me. We’ll worry about the future when the future gets here. We’ll just do the best job we can and see what happens.”
Howard, who coached the Cherokees to the Class AAA state title game in 2007, replaces Jeff Browning, who resigned in December. Browning was promoted to take over for Howard in 2008.
Howard had coached South-Doyle’s softball team since 2010, but will give way to Katie McNamare, whom school athletic director Clark Duncan named interim coach.
Baseball and softball practice begins across the state on Feb. 15.
“He retired for a short time because his daughter was a golfer and he wanted to coach her,” Duncan said. “I needed a softball coach several years ago, and he was willing to do it.
“Then this came open. We needed a baseball coach. We got stuck behind the eight-ball in December with the timing of everything. But Robby is going to come out of baseball retirement and be our baseball coach.”
Howard, of whom South-Doyle’s baseball grounds are named after, helped in the transition that ultimately led to him.
He began working out South-Doyle’s pitchers shortly after Browning’s resignation, trusting his softball assistants to run that program while he kept baseball afloat.
He later was present during an interview with a candidate for the baseball job. Howard left the interview “impressed,” but the hire never materialized.
“Without teaching positions, it’s hard to hire a coach in the middle of the year,” Howard said. “Three weeks ago, Clark (Duncan) came to me and said: ‘You’ve earned the right, if you want this job, it’s yours.’ I prayed about it, but I didn’t want to leave softball.
“Then last week, Clark came again and said: ‘Look, we don’t have a lot of options.’ And through a lot of prayer and heartache, I’m back. I’m excited for the challenge. It’s been a hard, hard decision, but it will be best for the school.”
Chris Thomas covers high school sports. Follow him at twitter.com/prepxtra.
