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Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Looking for the next one not easy Replacement search most daunting task facing MISD athletics to start school year

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a spot on the USA Softball Women’s Selection Committee.

Following a two-year stint at Hockaday in North Dallas, the much touted standout took over at Midlothian and led the Lady Panthers to five straight playoff appearances with four runs to the regional quarterfinals or beyond, three district titles and a 139-48 record. She had at least 26 wins in each of those five seasons and never had less than nine district wins.

The move to Midlothian came as a way of being closer to her family. A native of Grand Prairie, McFalls has relatives and friends in the area and took the job as a stepping stone for her professional and personal life. Along with coaching duties, McFalls served as the district’s assistant athletic director.

Her loyalty to the program and the area resulted in numerous job offers at the college level to go by the wayside, including two previous attempts by Texas coach Connie Clark to lure her to Austin. However this time was different as the move “felt right.” McFalls assumes the role left

uick – name the player who replaced Mickey Mantle in center field for the Yankees? How about the running back who took over when Walter Payton retired? The guy who filled in for Michael Jordan after his final stint with the Bulls?

Welcome to the conundrum that surrounds the Midlothian softball program.

In a move that has been years in the making, Lady Panther softball coach Jennifer McFalls stepped aside from the program Alex last week Riley to pursue an assistant Mirror coaching Sports position writer with the University of Texas. McFalls, who had never hidden her desire to coach at the collegiate level, joins one of the fastest rising programs in all of college athletics as the Longhorns have gone from start-up team to four-time Women’s College World Series contenders in less than two full decades.

Meanwhile, back in Ellis County, the search begins.

How do you replace someone like McFalls? Eventually we’ll find out.

It’s a huge stretch to call McFalls a “coaching legend” but her stature in the softball community is undeniable. She wasn’t a multiple time state champion. She was only at the school five full seasons. But finding someone to step into her shoes will be a daunting task. And make no mistake – this hire far outweighs the importance of the football hire.

How can that be, you ask?

Simple – the softball team is a winner, it has won, it can still win. The football program

See KEASLER, Page 2C

See RILEY, Page 2C

Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror

Moving on

After five seasons at the helm of the Midlothian softball program, Jennifer McFalls has resigned to accept an assistant coaching position with the University of Texas. McFalls, who posted a 139-48 record with the Lady Panthers, will be a defensive coach for the Longhorns next season.

McFalls accepts position as assistant at Texas, replacement search begins

By ALEX RILEY

The McFalls File

Mirror sports writer

Next season’s odyssey into 5A competition was going to be different for the Midlothian softball program. A new slate of teams and a new level of play all combined to make for a journey into uncharted territory.

Now the team will make that trek without a major reason for its recent success.

After five seasons at the helm of the Lady Panther squad, coach Jennifer McFalls is resigning to take an assistant coaching position with the University of Texas softball program in Austin.

The move comes just days after McFalls returned from an assistant coaching stint at the Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship in Surrey, British Columbia and exhibition games in Whitehorse, Yukon.

“I guess coaching at that (college) level has always kind of been a dream job for me. Going back to that level has always been sort of a (goal).

I’ve been blessed to sort of sit back and kind of be picky about the perfect and right opportunity to come along,” McFalls said. “I was really happy here at Midlothian, it’s very comfortable, my family’s here so it was a really a perfect fit for me

Arrived at Midlothian in 2006 ... earned three district championships and five playoff berths ... advanced to at least the regional quarterfinals four times ... at least 26 wins each season Year

Record District finish

Playoffs

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

29-4 27-12 26-10 30-8 27-14

Reg Semi Reg Semi Reg Qrtr Area Reg Qrtr

First Second T-First T-First Third

personally but professionally I still have aspirations to go back and coach at that level.”

Before arriving at Midlothian in 2006, McFalls posted a lustrous career in the sport that featured All-American honors at Texas A&M, a pair of Olympic tryouts, a 2000 Olympic gold medal and

Panthers offer support in transition Players, coaches understanding of McFalls’ move to D-I job, ready to move forward with program

By ALEX RILEY Mirror sports writer

As she walked into the school’s weight room at 9:30 in the morning on Wednesday, Whitney Cowley had no idea why there had been a team meeting called. Less than 30 minutes later, the pitching standout was fighting back tears and working hard to remain composed.

Cowley was one of many Midlothian softball players coming to terms with the fact that coach Jennifer McFalls had stepped down at the school. It was a moment the senior was totally unprepared for.

“I was definitely surprised. Very surprised. I had no idea anything like that was going to happen. I wanted to cry but I held it back until I got outside. Then I hugged her and I started crying a little bit,” Cowley said. “I’ve always known

that coaching in college was one of her things she wanted to do, it was one of her dreams and we’ve all got to make decisions. I think that me and everyone knows that’s probably the best decision for coach McFalls. I’m really happy for her.”

Upbeat sentiment was the running theme of the day from those who have been around McFalls the last few years. While no one wanted to see the highly successful coach leave the program, everyone seemed to understand the logic behind the move.

Of all the people who could comprehend the move at this point, former assistant coach Greg Stover was in complete agreement. The junior varsity coach in McFalls’ program for the past few years, Stover recently accepted a job at Cedar Hill as the Longhorns new head softball coach.

“I had no idea anything like that was going to happen. I wanted to cry but I held it back until I got outside. Then I hugged her and I started crying a little bit. ... I think that me and everyone knows that’s probably the best decision for coach McFalls. I’m really happy for her.”

–Whitney Cowley, senior pitcher McFalls was the person who helped Stover land the new gig.

Jokingly, Stover implied that she might have been worried to coach

against him next season in District 5-5A games. In the end, he understood exactly why Texas had the desire to land her as the newest

assistant.

“She was huge to the program.

With her background, her Olympic background, (Texas) A&M background, all that stuff, that’s why the softball program is so big in Midlothian is because of her.

They all wanted to play for McFalls, that’s what everyone said down to the rec leagues and stuff,” Stover said.

Despite facing the daunting task of replacing the softball giant, Midlothian athletic director Steve Keasler expressed his excitement in seeing McFalls make the move to the D-I level.

A former golf coach with the Longhorns before arriving in Midlothian, Keasler believes McFalls’ move to Austin is a huge career booster and will be something See McFALLS, Page 3C

2C Midlothian Mirror, Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Sports

Alex Riley, Sports Writer 469-517-1456 | alex.riley@wninews.com

Keasler: ‘We will find the best solution’

While she may no longer be the person in charge of the program, McFalls believes the change will be a positive as the program continues to build.

“It was tough. Kids are kids and they are pretty resilient most of the time but I’ve had an opportunity to build some strong relationships with several of them so it might have been harder on me than it was on them, I don’t know,” McFalls said. “They may be excited to hear something new and get something new from a new coach. I want it to be positive for them and hopefully we’ll continue to have a special relationship.”

Continued from Page 1C

by former assistant coach Marla Looper, who resigned after 11 years at the school back on June 16.

“It’s a huge compliment. I’m very honored.

I’ve had some opportunities in the past that have come along to go back to the D-I level at some big time places but nothing has ever felt right and this feels right. This definitely is a great fit for me personally and professionally,” McFalls said. “Plus just having a relationship there with their staff and knowing them as well as I know it feels like a really easy transition for me but yet an exciting new challenge.”

Clark, the founding coach of the Longhorn program back in 1996, has helped guide the program to high standards in a short period of time. Since turning into a varsity, NCAA squad in 1997, Texas has 10 NCAA tournament appearances, four trips to the Women’s College World Series and a combined seven Big 12 tournament and regular season titles.

In a statement released through the Texas athletic department, Clark called McFalls a “great addition to our coaching staff.”

“Her diverse experience as an Olympic athlete, coach, administrator, Team USA selection committee member and analyst is invaluable,” Clark added.

McFalls’ departure leaves district athletic director Steve Keasler looking for a replacement immediately. With school less than two months away, varsity assistant Frank Griffin takes over day-to-day duties temporarily until a replacement is found. Keasler is unsure of how he will fill the position as most coaches cannot opt out of their current contracts this late in the summer.

One option is to name a temporary coach for this season and continue the search as the year moves along. Finding a permanent coach is the ultimate goal but that could take time.

Keasler, who worked for nearly four months

McFalls timeline 1993: McFalls earns firstteam All-America honors as a shortstop for Texas A&M, leading the team in average, hits, total bases and slugging percentage.

1994: Named Texas A&M’s female athlete of the year. Also joins U.S. National Team.

1995-97: Graduate assistant coach at Texas A&M. Graduated A&M in 1997 with degree in kinesiology.

1996: Named alternate for U.S. Olympic team.

1997-98: Takes assistant coaching job with Oklahoma’s softball program.

1998: Helps national team win gold at World Championships.

1999: Brings home gold medal at Pan American Games.

2000: Earns spot on the U.S. Olympic team. Scored game winning run in gold medal game at Sydney games.

2001: Inducted into Texas A&M Hall of Fame.

2002: Worked as fast pitch softball academy director at Power Alley in Grand Prairie.

2003-2005: Served as softball coach and assistant athletic director at Hockaday School.

2006-2010: Worked as softball coach at Midlothian, compiling a 139-48 record with five playoff appearances.

July 2010: After returning from assistant coaching in 2010 Canadian Open Fast Pitch International Championship, accepts assistant coaching position with the University of Texas.

Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews.com or at 469-517-1456.

Transitional period

Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror

Coach Jennifer McFalls and sophomore Savannah Valderas, far right, watch a pitch unfold during a tournament earlier this season. McFalls led the team to it’s fifth-straight playoff appearance this season. on finding a football coach to replace Robby Clark, has a rough timetable of what he would like to accomplish over the next few weeks but will talk with new superintendent Dr. Jerome Stewart on the path the district would like to take. He was scheduled to meet with McFalls on July 28 and finalize the details of her departure. Keasler also added that the former coach’s insight could be called upon to help find a suitable replacement.

“If people don’t know by now I’m going to take my time on that stuff and that’s what I want to do. I know we’re kind of in a time crunch with school starting shortly. Most

Riley

Continued from Page 1C

which Lee Wiginton took over after Robby Clark resigned last season was a 1-9 team. There is nowhere to go but up for the boys in pads. There is an expectation level to sustain for softball.

Added to that, you can’t deny the facts about McFalls. She was a gold medal winning Olympian, a collegiate All-American, a Texas A&M hall of fame selection and one of the most influential figures in the softball community worldwide. Her expertise stretched beyond Midlothian. Just days before she announced her decision to leave, McFalls was in Canada coaching, she was always going to different national events to promote the sport.

How do you follow that?

Finding the new football coach for the school is a job that pales in comparison to the search athletic director Steve Keasler is about to go through. Sure, the Panther football squad is the flagship program of the school. It’s what gets thought about first. Football is still king in Texas.

But finding a coach to replace a legend in the sport itself, at all levels, is a job that appears more like a mountain than a hill. Keasler took nearly four months to search for the football coach. He will and won’t have that luxury this time around. School will start back soon meaning practices will begin and the 2011 season will need to be prepared for.

people would not be able to get out of their contracts. That does put a little bit of a burden on me as far as the search itself,” Keasler said.

“But we will find the best solution for what we have and what we’ve been dealt with. It could be a year thing or could be that we open it up to try and find somebody and see if they can get out of their contract at that time.”

McFalls broke the news to her team in an early morning meeting at the high school on Wednesday. The impromptu session caught most players off guard. The emotion of saying goodbye was a hard process to go through but one that all involved seemed to handle well.

With her departure, Jennifer McFalls becomes the latest athletic department change in the last school year for Midlothian High School.

Coaches no longer at MHS: Robby Clark, head football Cody Fagan, head wrestle/football Zac Oldham, head track/football Greg Stover, basketball/softball Kris Boyd, football Tommy Felts, football/soccer Sandy McCarty, football/track John Kitsopoulos, b-ball/football Matt Oakley, football/track Jason Shackelford, soccer Winona Wood, trainer

Odds are contracts with coaches at other schools will limit what he can and cannot do in the long term.

This season could be a short-term gig as a coach currently at the school might be asked to fill in.

McFalls’ assistant Frank Griffin and former softball coach Rhonda Curry are two likely candidates but that decision is a long way from being final. By filling the spot for a year, Keasler could then get the opportunity to search thoroughly for a longer period of time and find a replacement down the road.

The situation only gets more complicated when you factor in McFalls’ other job was as assistant athletic director. Instead of having to fill one hole, Keasler must now fill two and both are vital.

As he drove home from a coaches conference in San Antonio, Keasler talked about the need to sit down with new district superintendent Dr. Jerome Stewart and discuss the direction the athletic department wants to go in. He said he would ask for McFalls’ input on a replacement as she would know a quality candidate over an average coach.

The process will not be easy.

Keasler is fine with that. He’s a man who would rather get it right than get it fixed. His hope is that whoever takes over won’t fall into the same category as Joe Pepitone, Neal Anderson and Pete Meyers.

When you replace Mantle, Payton Photo by Alex Riley/The Mirror and Jordan, it’s a tough job to do.

With her winning prowess and knowledge of the game, softball coach Jennifer McFalls will be a Alex is a sports writer covering Midlothian athletics. Contact him at tough person to replace. McFalls, a gold medal winalex.riley@wninews.com or at 469- ning Olympian, changed the expectations for the team.

517-1456.

McFalls

Continued from Page 1C that proves to be good for all parties involved. Though he admits to being a little biased in the burnt orange department, Keasler was thankful for the time McFalls put in to help elevate the Lady Panther program.

“I’m very, very happy for her. She’s one of the great assets for the Midlothian Independent School District,” Keasler said. “She certainly has a passion for coaching and fortunately she’s about to venture into what I think is one of the best athletic programs in the nation. She’ll have a great experience in Austin at the University of Texas. She’ll be missed here but it’s a great professional move for her and we’ll be supporting her in full.”

While the search for a new coach continues, the players remaining in the Midlothian program are working to keep a collective balance for the upcoming season.

With the move to 5A competition just a few weeks away, there won’t be much time for mourning the loss of a coach and a friend.

“I’m going to miss her. She was a great

“I’m going to miss her.

She was a great impact on all of us. But there’s better things out there for her and I guess it’s just her time to move up.”

–MacKenzie Grier, senior first baseman

impact on all of us. But there’s better things out there for her and I guess it’s just her time to move up. I don’t know. I hope we get someone that’s going to help us in the future too,” senior first baseman MacKenzie Grier said. “She taught me a lot and she helped me through a lot of things. She helped me learn how to be a leader.”

Leadership was the buzzword between the players as the four returning seniors look to take hold of the team and move forward with the year. While it was a tough day to imagine,

the Lady Panthers were confident that in the end they would come out on top.

“We’re all going to need each other because we’re all going to go through this thing together – new coaches, playing for somebody that’s never been a part of what we’ve done,” Cowley said. “We’re going to have to stick together. I think it will bring us a lot closer next year. We’re going to have to lean on each other a lot this year.”

Contact Alex at alex.riley@wninews.com or at 469-517-1456.