
Originally Posted by
RoarMan
In answer to your last question about what other coach had to face similar issues Habetz has faced, the answer is, Gerry Glasco in his first year as head coach.
Glasco was not hired until November 20th, 2017. He had to replace a very successful coach who had been at the helm for 15 years.
As the new coach, Glasco had to deal with the departure of a number of key players who opted to transfer out. Those players included D. J. Sanders, Aleah Craighton and Alyssa Denham. Because he was hired so late, he had to leverage his coaching connections to bring in immediate–impact players. He did so by bringing in Alissa Dalton and Raina O'Neal. Glasco also elevated pitcher Summer Ellyson to be his ace. A status she probably would not have achieved with the previous coach. With the existing players, freshman and transfers, Glasco declared he would not have prefabricated opinions or preset lineups allowing every player to compete for starting roles.
Glasco had to quickly establish his system and earn the trust of a shell-shocked roster that was just three months away from opening day. He had little time to implement his offensive strategies or evaluate the existing talent before competitive play began.
During the season, a total of nine players dealt with injuries that caused all of them to miss games. In addition, Glasco had to deal with the illness and eventual death of his mother.
Despite these hurdles, Glasco led the team to a 41-16 record in 2018 and reached the NCAA regional finals. By doing so, he saved the Ragin Cajun softball program.