George Randolph - Owensboro Catholic
One of the most successful coaches in Kentucky is
Owensboro Catholic Coach George Randolph. His teams
have won four state titles, the most by any Kentucky
High School. It has been a pleasure to get to know
George over the last 13 years.
Here is a question and answer session I did with
George this week:
KP: When did you start coaching softball and why?
GR: I started coaching softball in 1995 when the transition
began from slow pitch to fastpitch. Actually took the head
job in 1996 when it came open at the request of some of
the returning players!
KP: Did you play high school sports and where?
GR: I attended Owensboro Catholic, graduated in 1977 and played football, basketball, and baseball.
KP: Are there any coaches that you look up to?
GR: There are many coaches I look up to and respect. I try to learn from every team we play and what other coaches do in certain situations. There are so many great coaches in Kentucky that is impossible to list every one. When we first started fastpitch at OC, Tony Burkeen and the Reidland program is what we tried to pattern our program after. Joe Elston, Mike Harreld, Jimmy Durham, Rick Roberts, Jim Perrin were also very sharing, and in the past 5-6 years Josh Bloomer is not only a coaching comrad, but I also consider him a close friend. A lot of the coaches from teams out of Kentucky have been infuential to me, one being Danny Hensley from Niceville Fl.
KP: What has been your most memorable moment?
GR: My most memorable moments are not the State Championships (even though they are very special), but the relationships I’ve built with my assistant coaches, coaches from schools we’ve competed against, my players both past and present and their families. Seeing all those young ladies passion for the game and how they grow up and mature throughout the years are very rewarding to me.
KP: Have you coached any other sport?
GR: I also have coached football since 1988 here at Owensboro Catholic and have been an assistant girls basketball coach with Ray Zuberer for the last 5 years.
KP: Why have you been so successful at Owensboro Catholic?
GR: I think there are many reasons we’ve been so successful here at Owensboro Catholic. First off is the unbelievably talented and athletic young ladies we’ve been blessed with through the years. Secondly is the great passion and desire that the girls have for softball and them working so hard to be the best they can be. Third is the support I’ve received from the school, administration, principal, AD, and the parents. Our park was built by the parents and it is so called "Parents Park". They have put in hundreds of hours throughout the years fundraising and working for and with their daughters to help them succeed.
KP: What do you enjoy most about coaching softball in Ky?
GR: I enjoy the opportunity to promote fastpitch not only in the state of Kentucky, but also outside of our state. We’ve played teams from 13 different states and it has been rewarding seeing how fastpitch in our state has progressed and improved that we are competing with just about everyone we play.
KP: Why would you advise a student to play sports?
GR: I think it is good for students to be involved in athletics because of all the benefits that come from playing. Team work, winning, losing and how you deal with success and setbacks all help prepare them for life. There are so many life lessons learned from athletics that it is priceless. Being able to budget your time with practices, games, traveling, and schoolwork are all important ingredients in preparing for the future.
KP: What was it like coaching your daughter in softball and son in football?
GR: Coaching my kids is something I’ll always cherish. It was so rewarding to have the opportunity to spend so much time with them, and sharing in the ups and downs’ of their careers. Both Olivia and Jake had the privilege of playing in the State Chamionship games which was so special for us as a family with me being there as their coach.
KP: Is it tough on the family being away most of the spring/early summer?
GR: Our family has kind of been built around our kids athletic events, games, practices, travel ball in the summers, camps so on and so forth. It has become a way of life for the Randolph household and one in which we very much enjoy.
Some of the accomplishments for Owensboro Catholic are:
State Championships in 98, 99, 03, and 05
State Runner-ups in 01, 04, and 06
Our coaching staff received coaching staff of the year in 04, and 08
I was finalist for NHSACA coach of the year in 06.
The All Americans we’ve had in Megan Jolly 04, Meagan Aull 06, 07, and Hadley Clark 08.
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Coach George Randolph
