Within the pages of history of the Eagle Grove baseball program, there are state teams (along with a state title) and a 300+ wins head coach. Now we can add two former players that took their own teams to state as coaches…and in the same year no less!
Daryl Cochran has been the head baseball coach at Camanche for 23 years now, with the previous seven years being as an assistant. He took his team to this year’s state high school tournament, where they made it to the 2A semifinals before bowing out to Centerville.
“This is my first state team as a head coach,” said Cochran. “Altogether I have a 33-year career in coaching the sport.” He was on the high school staff as a sophomore coach for six years before taking the head job. He has also had coaching stops in Lesterville, Missouri and Ashford University. In a twist of irony, just this year he joined former head Eagle Coach Bruce Rholl in getting his 300th win as a head coach!
“What made me want to coach was simply a love of the game,” said Cochran. “I also wanted to give back everything the game had given me.” His father was also a big influence, as the younger Cochran learned the fundamentals of the game from him. “He coached my brothers and I in little league,” he said. “Some other coaches that influenced me were George Miller, Brad Wilking and my coach Jack Kelly.”
Cochran was an Eagle from 1979-82, and has several memories of his time spent here. “The fondest I have are hanging out with my teammates. Going to the field early or staying late and doing extra hitting or fielding with my friends,” he said. “The bus rides and the comradery we built stand out too. I don’t remember our records, but I do feel like we won more than we lost.”
Along the way, there has been a rivalry between him and another former Eagle player, Ryan Stensland (Editor’s note-Stensland was also contacted for this story but never responded after numerous reminders). “We coached against one another several times,” said Cochran about Stensland, who coached Alburnett into this year’s 1A state field for the fourth time (they lost in the quarterfinals). “At one time we were in the same conference, and it seemed like we were always battling with Lisbon (where he was at at the time) for the top spot. I suppose you could call it a rivalry.”
He admits his coaching philosophy has evolved over time, with some of it coming from his Eagle years and adding or removing parts along the way. “My teams focus on hard work and never settling for second best.” Said Cochran. “Whether we are talking about baseball, academics or anything you put your mind to, we believe in doing it right the first time and doing it the best that it can be done. We believe in pushing your teammates to be better, picking them up when they are down and always believing in yourself. True character is revealed in times of adversity. Anyone can have a good attitude when times are good. The question is how does one react when times are tough? We take great pride in our school, our team and the game of baseball and a true love of the game.”
Cochran admits to gaining much from the game. “Leadership, team work, being a competitor, determination and a great hard-work ethic are just a few of those things and I have tried to pass them along to my student-athletes,” he said.
Cochran and his wife have two sons and a daughter. “My oldest son and my daughter played multiple sports in high school, and my daughter was lucky enough to play on state volleyball and basketball teams,” said Cochran. “I coached my son in basketball, football and baseball, which was one of the most rewarding experiences in my career.” Cochran sees himself always coaching this sport in some capacity. “I love this game and want to pass it along to as many as I can,” he said.
