By By SCOTT NOVAK / Vigilant/Argus
DOWAGIAC - Former Dowagiac softball coach Randy Brooks ended his retirement less than a year after he resigned from the position at Dowagiac Union High School.
Brooks, who resigned at Dowagiac in June of 2004, was named Cassopolis softball coach last week after signing a contract on Monday, March 7.
Brooks, who was 412-159 in 16 seasons at Dowagiac, will be taking over a Cassopolis program that went 7-20 last season and was 0-14 in the Lakeland Conference.
Brooks figured out that he really missed softball and that he had the support of his family if he wanted to get back into coaching.
A call from former player Nicky Hulett (Gaideski) helped him make the decision to apply for the job.
Brooks, 43, knows that his work is cut out for him with the Rangers. He feels that he will need to develop all of the players, but especially pitching.
Brooks, who won three district championships and a regional at Dowagiac, said that pitching is his top priority.
Practice officially begins on Monday for the Rangers.
On leaving the game, Brooks said that he felt that the amount of time he spent coaching softball took away from his family.