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Frisco softball coach accepts Prosper job

BY ANDREW MAY, Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, June 25, 2009 1:31 PM CDT

Near he end of the season when rumors began to swirl about the possibility of retirement, Frisco softball coach Max Bledsoe dismissed the gossip as mere hearsay. Little did they know at the time, the folks that were speculating about Bledsoe hanging it up after 30 years as a Raccoon coach were on to something.

Bledsoe, 50, finalized plans Saturday to take over the head softball coaching position at Prosper High School. He said the decision was tough, but one that he feels comfortable with.

“It’s an opportunity for me, in my career where I’m at, for me to make a little change,” Bledsoe said. “It’s an opportunity for me to do something a little bit different, to revitalize my juices and get me going again.”

Part of the allure of Prosper is what originally drew Bledose back to Frisco in 1979. Though in the midst of growth, Prosper still retains the small-town feel and has only one high school. That youngest daughter Whitney just graduated from FHS also played a role in the timing.

“It kind of reminds me of Frisco 20 years ago,” Bledsoe said. “Where I’m at in my career, not too far away from retirement, I thought it was something I would like to try. It’s going to be a new challenge for me.”

Bledsoe graduated from Frisco High in 1976 before attending East Texas State University. He returned to Frisco in 1979, where he began his coaching career as a middle school football and basketball coach, and a baseball assistant. In 1985, he became the Lady Raccoon varsity basketball coach before beginning the softball program in 1993-94. During his tenure at FHS, he has also coached boys basketball and cross country.

Bledsoe guided the softball program to a 4A state championship in 2002 and has compiled a 314-142-3 overall record during his tenure.

He said making the rounds to tell colleagues and players that he is moving on has been difficult. It is a process that is ongoing.

“I’ve been working with some of them for 30 years and some of them for 15 or 20 years,” he said. “The people you work with and the kids is what I’ll miss most.”

After going 14-17 overall this season and finishing fifth in District 9-4A with a 6-8 record, Bledsoe said he had no plans to leave. He didn’t seek out any other positions, but had to listen when the phone rang.

“It’s not like I was looking,” he said. “They called me. I had no idea the job was open.”

Soon after he hung up, Bledsoe was eight miles away in Prosper visiting the campus and touring the facilities. He appreciated the smaller atmosphere and what the school has to offer.

“I was very intrigued and liked what I saw. I just though it might be a neat opportunity for me,” Bledsoe said. “Their philosophy up there is real similar to what Frisco is.”

He mulled the decision long and hard with wife Brenda. The two decided that if the only coach in FHS softball history was to make a change, now is the time. He has not set a timeline as to how much longer he plans to coach, but hopes to be rejuvenate and recharge his battery with the change of scenery.

“It was a tough decision. It wasn’t just something I decided overnight,” Bledsoe said. “I am very happy here; it was just a situation that really intrigued me. It’s not like I’m moving to the other side of the state or anything. I will still be around.”

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