Coaching carousel: After 25 years, a Bloomington softball coach is moving on
It's a resignation and a retirement. No, really, Geoff Aiken means it this time.
The veteran softball coach's time in charge of the Bloomington North program has come to an end after three separate stints over a 25-year span.
Aiken previously coached from 1998-2001 and from 2008-12 with Emily Crohn running the program before his latest run started in 2019. It concluded with a 32-55 record around the lost season of 2020. Now it's time to turn his attention to other matters closer to home with his step-daughter Hadley Abram heading into her final year at Alabama.
"The huge thing was, with Hadley doing a bunch of stuff at Alabama that I missed out on," Aiken said. "This being her senior year, I didn't want to miss out on anything. I want to go to the sorority parents dinner and graduation and honors day and go to football and basketball games down there.
"Now, I'll have a chance. I reality, softball takes a lot of time and instead I decided to go with my family."
When he started, the Cougars didn't have an on-campus field until opening their current home in May of 1999. Aiken just happened to be there in 2021 when a new turf field, press box, scoreboard and other upgrades were added to the facility.
The game and the way a program must be run these days has also changed dramatically.
"Travel ball has taken over as far as recruiting," Aiken said. "I've had DI players come through the program and I never talked to a single college coach about anything. They do all their recruiting through the travel teams and I understand way. It's easier to go see a lot of players at at high level tournament.
"Also the IHSAA is making things way more lenient in the off-season. Fall practices, conditioning in the winter, open gyms, you're doing that two times a week. So you're expected to be doing something most of the year."
Still, there's a reason why he coached for so long and why he'll help the new coach in any way he can.
"It really is a people thing," he said. "I'm going miss the players. There's never a good time to say this is the class I want to be done with. We had a really fun group of freshmen, so the timing of it is good. Next year, we only have one junior and couple sophomores back, so it's a good time for someone else to jump in and be with those girls."
Smith takes on two roles at North
Andrea Smith, who stepped down as gymnastics coach prior to last season, now finds herself with two positions within the North athletics department. Smith not only returns as gymnastics coach, she was also hired as an assistant athletics director, filling a spot vacated by former girls' basketball coach Jeff Turmail.
"I wasn't really expecting either role," Smith said. "It came out of nowhere. But when the assistant athletics director opened up, I was interested because I love being around sports and helping students and being able to combine both passions into one job, I was excited.
Smith will find herself at all kinds of sporting events throughout the year, but will be spending the winter session with the gymnastics team again after Alena Wray stepped down after just one season in charge.
"The coaching came out of left field," Smith said. "I thought I had hung my hat up, but I missed it. I truly missed it a lot and I love having the extra time next year. My husband and I think we can make it work and be at our kids events and not miss much and still be able to coach."
An official hire for the girls' basketball coaching position was not listed in the most recent MCCSC board meeting agenda.
More athletics changes at South
Bloiomington South is also getting a new assistant athletics director with the elevation of Kyle Simpson. He replaces Greg Ratliff, who recently announced his family is moving to Ohio. Previously, Ratliff was the head wrestling coach at Edgewood from 2011-22.
Simpson is in his second stint as an assistant boys' basketball coach at South, coming back in 2018.
Girls' basketball coach Larry Winters will also have to re-order his staff with assistant Dustin Carver having to step down after his promotion to assistant principal. Carver will remain as head boys' golf coach.
More: These multi-event standouts top the Herald-Times All-Area girls track team
Edgewood has new tennis coach
John Kerr, who led the Edgewood girls' tennis program in 2016-17, is the new boys' head coach.
He takes over for Jordan Truax, who moves down into an assistant coaching role. Kerr was a former player for the Mustangs.
Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on Twitter @JimGordillo.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Coaching carousel: Bloomington North looking for a new softball coach
