Coaches Jim McLaughlin of the Eagle Grove Softball team and Coach Jordan Miller of the Eagle Grove baseball team have both been selected as Coaches of the Year by sports journalist Quinn Douglas of KQWC and KZWC radio of Webster City.
"In nearly a clean sweep of the 2023 awards, Eagle Grove’s Jordan Miller is the area coach of the year, leading the Eagles to their 2nd straight winning season," wrote Douglas, noting that the Eagles enjoyed, "their best record since a 16-9 campaign in 2009 as the Eagles finished 16-10."
The Eagles came in third in the Top of Iowa West conference, with Forest City and Bishop Garrigan being tied for first. Which led Douglas to speculate that the Eagles, "appear to not be done with this run of success they’ve enjoyed the last couple of years."
"Going .500 may not seem significant to some," wrote Douglas, "but for an Eagle Grove program that experienced plenty of turbulence over the previous 5 years, it was (a) big stepping stone in head coach Jim McLaughlin’s tenure."
The Eagles Varsity Softball team had a remarkable year, earning that .500 record and finishing 15-15. As Douglas pointed out, this marks the Eagles' first .500 since 2017. And the Lady Eagles even won their first regional game, before ending their sason with a loss to Chariton.
Douglas sees big things for the Lady Eagles next year. "With a majority of his lineup returning in 2024," Douglass wrote, "the Eagles could be contenders to dethrone North Union atop the Top of Iowa West."
Congratulations to Coach McLaughlin and his team on a great season!
