By JON WEBB
Glasgow Daily Times
GLASGOW —
Jonathan Myatt resigned as Barren County High School head baseball coach on Tuesday, citing time constraints stemming from his Master’s degree studies. He will remain in his regular position within the district.
Myatt served as head baseball coach for two years and amassed a 32-31 record. Before ascending to the program’s top position, he worked as an assistant for two seasons.
“It’s at the point where I’ve got to look ahead and finish school,” he said. “I’m getting my Master’s in education, and I’ve got to get it done this year and it’s extremely hard to (coach) baseball and finish that at the same time.”
BCHS Principal Keith Hale said no time table has been set to hire Myatt’s replacement, but added the process wouldn’t be rushed.
“We need to make sure we find the right person,” Hale said. “We have the facilities and the kids to make (the job) an appealing position.”
Myatt certainly made the team look appealing early in his final season. The Trojans bounded out to a 7-0 start at the onset of the campaign before dropping 14 of their next 18 matchups. Barren rebounded to close the regular season with a six-game winning streak, but lost to eventual champion Allen County-Scottsville in the first round of the District 15 tournament.
“We started off hot, got in a lull after spring break and worked our way out of it,” Myatt said after the May 25 defeat. “It’s not a team thing (at Barren County). It’s a family thing.”
Myatt preceeded the 2010 effort with a 15-16 campaign in 2009, in which the Trojans came within one run of three-peating as District champions, losing to Allen County 5-4.
Coach resignations became commonplace for Barren County in the wake of its respective 2009-2010 sports seasons. Former football coach Jeff Richey stepped down in November and was replaced by Jason Esters three months later. Former softball coach Angie Vaughn followed earlier this month, paving the way for Myatt to leave the Trojans/Trojanettes with two empty spring sport positions.
“Luckily, it’s spring sports and not fall sports,” Hale said. “We’re taking our time (replacing Vaughn) as well. We just don’t want to put someone in there who isn’t going to take the softball program where it should go.”
As far as the baseball program, the Trojans are set to return eight players — Luke Matthews, Tyler Hammer, Alex Puleo, Caleb Dubree, Brandon Read, Cade Lowry, Kelly Dillon and Andrew London — with significant varsity experience. Incoming junior pitchers Ryan Edmunds and Citt Cumberland are set to return as well, along with a number of soon-to-be sophomores.
And it’s those people Myatt will miss the most. They will also, he said, provide his successor with a powerful incentive to take the job.
“I’ll miss (coaching) for sure. I’ll miss the kids,” he said. “Whoever steps into the position is going to have a great opportunity.”
