By Pat Culverhouse
Louisiana Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame coach Bob Gray is returning to familiar ground. He’s been named head baseball coach at Lakeside Jr./Sr. High, replacing his son, Will, who is now assistant principal at Lakeside.
It’s not like Gray is coming out of retirement, even though he officially ended his run as head coach at Lakeside (the school formerly known as Sibley) in 2015. He continued as assistant coach to Will, who was promoted to head coach.
“It’s not like I went home and got out of touch, I was still there although it was in a reduced role,” Gray said. “And now, to come back, it’s a challenge I’m looking forward to. I don’t mind taking over doing the work and I don’t mind the time commitment. That’s nothing new.”
As a head coach, he accumulated 627 wins, two state championships, a state runner-up and seven semi-finals in 26 playoff appearances. Also on his Hall of Fame resume are two state Coach of the Year honors (1990 and ’91) and 17 District Coach of the Year awards.
Gray agreed to return after a search for a head coach to replace Will Gray proved unsuccessful.
“We looked around for some coaches who would be interested, and talked to those guys who could take over the program and keep it where it is or make it better,” he explained. “Three or four guys were interested but decided to pursue other options.”
When no other candidates came forward, a call went out for volunteers and Gray stepped forward. After making the decision to return, a conversation with “…a higher authority…” convinced him he had done the right thing.
“That night, I went home and couldn’t sleep. But about four o’clock in the morning, I took it to a Higher Power and had a very good conversation,” Gray said. “Around six minutes after four, I was asleep, convinced He’s got plans and all I have to do is trust.”
Gray said he will return to “drive the train” on a program that is known for producing fundamentally sound players who know how to play the game. During his head coaching years, an emphasis on basics was a Sibley/Lakeside trademark.
“We have a great group of kids and we’ve got a great group coming along through our Little Warriors program which starts youngsters in the second grade,” he said. “We take batting practice, but we learn how to play the game.”
Gray will also be continuing a tradition of coaching close family members. His four sons (Will, Wesley, Brooks and Jake) were members of his teams, and grandson Peyton will be a senior on this year’s team.
“And all of them talked about me in the locker room just like everyone else did,” he said with a laugh.
Gray said this isn’t just a stop-gap plan to fill the head coaching job.
“It’s not just a step in type of thing. I never stepped away from the game in retirement, and I plan to do this until I no longer enjoy the challenge,” he said “And, that could be a long time.”