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Athletic Director's wife among new coaching hires
Highland athletic director Gary Leake has given a whole new meaning to the phrase “in-house candidate.”Leake announced Monday that Highland's softball coaching job — recently vacated by Donald O'Meara — would be filled by Leake's wife, Renee, the former head softball coach at Osbourn High.
“Renee joining our coaching staff is great for me in, obviously, several ways,” Gary Leake said. “I knew that if there was ever an opening here, she would be someone that we would bring in because of her coaching style.”
Highland also hired Brian Burke as head coach of its baseball team, which will return to action for the first time since 1998, when Gary Leake coached the last team fielded by the school. Also, Gary Hicklin also was announced as the new junior varsity volleyball coach.
Leake was hands on with those hires but, truth be told, he removed himself from the final decision in the search for a softball coach to avoid a conflict of interest.
But Renee Leake proved Highland's choice, nonetheless. Her credentials speak for themselves: Osbourn won four Cedar Run District titles, four Northwest Region titles and advanced to the Group AAA state tournament five times under Leake's watch.
She inherits a Highland program coming off back-to-back Virginia Independent Schools state championships.
“Is there pressure? Absolutely,” Renee Leake said. “Being involved with a successful program, the target's on your back.
“The pressure is going to be on, but to me, I like that challenge.”
The transition will be eased by Highland's talented returning roster. Soon-to-be-seniors Maire Shaughnessy, Ella Miller and Morgan Stephens pace what promises to be another strong Hawks squad.
“I've had the opportunity to see a couple of the girls play,” Leake said. “I'm excited about working with them...”See the Wednesday print edition of the Fauquier Times-Democrat for the complete story.
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