Cole takes Episcopal girls cross country, track job
| PREPS EXTRAS |
| NAVIGATION Home | Sports | Preps | Photos FOOTBALL BASKETBALL VOLLEYBALL SWIMMING CROSS COUNTRY RECLASSIFICATION ALL SPORTS |
 |
Print
Email
Save
Reprints
Twitter
Share
Del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Reddit
For 32 years, Eddie Cole was convinced he had the best job around, working as a track and cross country coach at Thibodaux’s E.D. White Catholic High School. It was his first and only full-time teaching job.
The Baton Rouge native now considers himself to be doubly blessed as he takes over as girls cross country and track coach at Episcopal.
Moments after finishing a preseason “boot camp” with 15 cross country runners on Friday, Cole was relaxed.
The 60-year-old coach, who won five state titles and posted five runner-up finishes in girls-boys cross country at EDW, discussed change and succeeding another accomplished coach, Butch Helveston. In May, Helveston retired after a 35-year career that included 20 years at Baton Rouge High and the last 11 years at Episcopal.
“What kind of guy succeeds the guy who went out with a state title in track? Well, that would be me,” Cole said. “For my wife and me, this was a life decision. She has two sons who live here and we have two grandkids in Baton Rouge.
“Leaving E.D. White was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made. But I feel so fortunate to be in the situation I’m in here at Episcopal.”
Cole said he was first approached about the EHS job not long after Helveston announced his retirement and politely said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
A 1966 Lee High graduate who earned both his bachelor’s (1971) and masters (1976) degrees at LSU, Cole said he then started to consider his ties to Baton Rouge, including his mother, Eleanor. He interviewed at Episcopal in May and soon accepted the job.
“It was one of those perfect storm kind of things where everything fell into place in just a few days,” Cole said. “Along with that, we got the blessing of my mother-in-law, who still lives in Thibodaux. Even though we’re moving to Baton Rouge, we’ve assured her we’ll be making plenty of trips back there.”
Cole’s wife, Cherie, has her share of athletic connections. She is the daughter of the late Raymond Didier, the former LSU baseball coach and also the athletic director-baseball coach at Nicholls State. Her brother, Chip, is volleyball coach at Terrebonne High and her niece is St. Amant volleyball coach Allison Didier Leake.
While his résumé includes helping start the cross country program at EHS’ rival University High as an LSU graduate student and winning boys state titles there from 1973-75, Cole is making few changes with the Knights, who finished third in Class 2A last fall.
“I think most coaches put their stamp on a program, but there isn’t need for changes here,” Cole said. “Butch and Claney (Duplechin, EHS boys coach) have done such a great job here. All the workouts from past years are on file.
“We did a boot camp like Butch has done in the past. We’ve mixed in some swimming and done a few other things that might be different. I’m looking forward to the season.”
The Baton Rouge native now considers himself to be doubly blessed as he takes over as girls cross country and track coach at Episcopal.
Moments after finishing a preseason “boot camp” with 15 cross country runners on Friday, Cole was relaxed.
The 60-year-old coach, who won five state titles and posted five runner-up finishes in girls-boys cross country at EDW, discussed change and succeeding another accomplished coach, Butch Helveston. In May, Helveston retired after a 35-year career that included 20 years at Baton Rouge High and the last 11 years at Episcopal.
“What kind of guy succeeds the guy who went out with a state title in track? Well, that would be me,” Cole said. “For my wife and me, this was a life decision. She has two sons who live here and we have two grandkids in Baton Rouge.
“Leaving E.D. White was probably the toughest decision I’ve ever made. But I feel so fortunate to be in the situation I’m in here at Episcopal.”
Cole said he was first approached about the EHS job not long after Helveston announced his retirement and politely said, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
A 1966 Lee High graduate who earned both his bachelor’s (1971) and masters (1976) degrees at LSU, Cole said he then started to consider his ties to Baton Rouge, including his mother, Eleanor. He interviewed at Episcopal in May and soon accepted the job.
“It was one of those perfect storm kind of things where everything fell into place in just a few days,” Cole said. “Along with that, we got the blessing of my mother-in-law, who still lives in Thibodaux. Even though we’re moving to Baton Rouge, we’ve assured her we’ll be making plenty of trips back there.”
Cole’s wife, Cherie, has her share of athletic connections. She is the daughter of the late Raymond Didier, the former LSU baseball coach and also the athletic director-baseball coach at Nicholls State. Her brother, Chip, is volleyball coach at Terrebonne High and her niece is St. Amant volleyball coach Allison Didier Leake.
While his résumé includes helping start the cross country program at EHS’ rival University High as an LSU graduate student and winning boys state titles there from 1973-75, Cole is making few changes with the Knights, who finished third in Class 2A last fall.
“I think most coaches put their stamp on a program, but there isn’t need for changes here,” Cole said. “Butch and Claney (Duplechin, EHS boys coach) have done such a great job here. All the workouts from past years are on file.
“We did a boot camp like Butch has done in the past. We’ve mixed in some swimming and done a few other things that might be different. I’m looking forward to the season.”
 | ||||
| Most Popular | Most Emailed | Hot Topics | ||
