Sports
Huntingdon’s Cook joins Edgewood Academy coaching staff
By GRIFFIN PRITCHARD - Herald Sports Editor
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Edgewood Academy’s stock rose the moment pen met paper.
Angela Cook, former softball coach and women’s administrator at Huntingdon College, has signed on with Edgewood Academy to coach volleyball and softball this fall.
“I am very excited about this,” said Cook. “Edgewood has great kids and great parents.”
Cook inherits a softball team that is sure to be an early front-runner for a state championship.
The Lady Wildcats, members of Class AAA for the past three seasons, dropped to Class AA as part of the Alabama Independent School Association’s reclass earlier this year.
However, while competing in the state’s largest classification, Edgewood Academy challenged Tuscaloosa Academy for the 2007 state championship. Dropping down makes Edgewood an automatic contender in their new class.
“My expectations for softball are to do better than last year but I really believe that we can go in and win a state championship in the first year, especially with the four seniors that I have coming back” said Cook.
“I expect the girls to work hard and win as many games as we possibly can in the regular season and in the state tournament.”
The Lady Wildcats have won state championships in Class AA three times: 1996, 2001 and 2002.
“The past softball coaches have done a good job and that’s the reason that the softball program is at it’s current level,” said Cook.
“They have a good feeder program in the junior high school. The coach helps build them up so when they get to the varsity, they are ready to play.”
On the diamond, Cook is no stranger to success.
After assuming the mantle of coach of the Lady Hawks at the start of 2003 season, Cook amassed a 127-94-1 record with three Great South Athletic Conference Tournament championships.
The Lady Hawks claimed the regular season championship in 2004 and were named co-champions in 2005.
“This is a great hire for us,” said Bobby Carr, athletic director of Edgewood Academy.
“Hiring Angela says a lot about the credibility of our programs. Now we’re bringing a coach with experience on the college level to help our volleyball and softball programs keep growing.
“I’m a big believer that you never stop learning. Bringing her into the fold and the knowledge that she brings with her is only going to help us get better.”
While one program is in a state of high expectations, Cook will be tasked with growing another program. Following the departure of Virginia Barber to Macon-East Montgomery Academy during the winter, Cook becomes Edgewood’s second volleyball coach in as many years.
“Volleyball here is definitely in the beginning stages,” said Cook. “It’s not that I don’t have high expectations for the program — I do — it’s just young.
My expectations are for us to win more games than last year and to create a base to start building the championship tradition within the volleyball girls that you see with other sports here.”
One advantage to taking a job on the prep level is that Cook can now concentrate on her family and not worry with recruiting.
“That was one of the hardest things to do at Huntingdon,” said Cook.
“I was gone all the time and didn’t get a chance to be with my family. Now I live down the road from the school and all I have to do is coach.”
