Softball Coach of the Year: Delegation helps at Stonewall
Jeff Burner, Stonewall Jackson -- By Ryan Sonner
Jeff Burner doesn't want to take any credit for turning the Stonewall Jackson softball program around this year. He insists, like most coaches, that it was the players who got the job done.
"I'm just a glorified cheerleader," he said.
Burner said it was a team effort that helped the Generals go from 3-16 a year ago to 15-6 this season, a team effort on the part of the players and the coaches. He might actually be right.
Burner was officially the head coach, but he had no problems turning things over to his two assistants, Mike Hunt and Warren Brill. In fact, he did that quite often. Hunt took care of field alignment and the batting order, while Brill handled the pitchers. Actually, there was only one pitcher, his daughter Kristin, but she shined as a freshman.
Burner, the 2004 Northern Virginia Daily Softball Coach of the Year, ultimately made all the final decisions. For the most part, though, he just let his coaches coach, and he sat back and enjoyed the show.
"Jeff is very gracious and shares a lot of duties," Hunt said. "Jeff is certainly nice to allow me a great deal of latitude, but the credit still needs to go to Jeff because he's still been able to get an influx of high-level athletes. I think I've just been there at the right time to see that come full circle and pay off."
It definitely paid off this year. With Brill in the circle, the Generals were tough to beat. Their record of 15-6 was the school's first winning season in 20 years. The success was a mixture of Kristin Brill's emergence and a slew of seniors, most of whom had been starters for multiple seasons.
"I was hoping to win a couple games," she said. "I never thought we'd have the success we had."
Brill put together one of the most impressive seasons by a pitcher in the history of Stonewall Jackson softball. She finished with a 15-5 record and struck out 166 batters. Stonewall last had a winning season in 1984 with a record of 9-6-1.
"I've got a lot of people that make me look good," Burner said, still sticking by his story that he had little to do with the turnaround.
Burner's willingness to delegate the coaching duties to his assistants might be a sign of the future. For the last two years, "from the time Jamie [Heishman] graduated," Burner considered stepping down as softball coach and concentrating solely on his duties as varsity girls basketball coach. There's one problem with that, though.
"None of them wants the head job," he said, referring to Hunt and Warren Brill. "I've talked with all of them, and they don't want to do it. They want to stay in assistant roles."
Hunt, who was most recently the Central girls basketball coach, said he likes things the way they are.
"There's a very honest reason for it," he said. "I totally enjoy being an assistant because it allows me to enjoy the players. I've been at this since 1982. I don't know that I'm interested in being the head coach anymore."
For one game this season, Hunt was forced into that position. The Generals traveled to Wilson Memorial, but Burner didn't accompany them. Instead, he was back home with his head firmly entrenched in a trash can. It was the first time Burner has missed a game in his 13 years as a coach. Coincidentally, Stonewall lost the game.
"From about 1 until 6, I never stopped puking," Burner said. "It was 'lay on the sofa and every so often stick your head in the trash can and puke.' It was pretty disgusting. I hate missing the game and everything. I gave Hunt a little grief because we lost."
Burner said he's taking the softball job year to year. He's coming back next year, but there aren't any guarantees after that.
"We'll see what happens," he said. "I still enjoy the kids, and I like softball."
