It was a July afternoon when Carleigh Nester got the phone call.
The name on her caller ID was a typical one. It was her coach, Patti Raduenz. She had called Nester countless times before, so why worry? Then, a bombshell. Raduenz was leaving her post as Elon University softball coach to pursue other career opportunities.
“I didn’t really see it coming,” the sophomore pitcher said.
Raduenz left as the most successful coach in program history, leading the Phoenix to its first NCAA Tournament and racking up 277 wins over an 11-year tenure. Raduenz was out, and somebody had to step in her place.
That person was Kathy Bocock. On Aug. 2, Bocock was promoted to interim head coach after serving as an assistant for the previous two seasons. It was a job she had long dreamed of.
“When she left, I put in for it because I love it here,” Bocock said. “I was hoping for it.”
Suddenly, eight incoming freshmen had to get used to the idea of playing for a coach they didn’t sign up to play for.
“It was a little difficult,” third baseman/outfielder Grace Eng said. “It was a different transition that I had to adjust to.”
Bocock’s move up left a void to fill — another assistant would need to be hired. She chose a familiar face, Jess Kohut, who served as assistant coach from 2009-2010. The hire provided the freshmen with some added comfort. Kohut recruited several of them during her previous tenure with the Phoenix.
All eight newcomers honored their commitment to Elon and arrived to campus on time.
Elon is a little different from Averett University, the Division III school in Virginia where Bocock spent 15 years as the head coach of the softball and women’s basketball teams.
“These guys are Division I players, so you’re trying to get the best of the best and they’re getting money and scholarships,” Bocock said. “Division III kids, they’re doing it because they still love the game. They really come out and get after it every time.”
When athletic director Dave Blank promoted Bocock, he did so with an interim tag. It’s a scary thought for any coach, knowing your performance is constantly under review and you could be replaced if someone more qualified comes knocking on the door. But Bocock can’t think about that now. Not with the season starting Feb. 10.
“I’m not going to put that pressure on myself, staff or the players, because when you have that extra pressure sometimes it creates havoc,” Bocock said. “We’re just going to take each day at a time and do the best job we can do every day.”
And so, with the stress of an injured foot to worry about, Nester can rest easy knowing that another devastating phone call won’t come, not for a while anyway. Kathy Bocock loves it here and wouldn’t have it any other way.