No one was really surprised when Ryan Berryman was approved as Western (IN) High School new coach. It has been a while since Berryman left the coaching arena. Following a highly successful stint at Northwestern (IN) High School, Berryman might have meant it when he said that he had had his fill of the game in that capacity, but no one could dispute his love and passion for baseball. You didn’t need to look at betting lines to know that Berryman was due for a resurgence.
After five full baseball seasons, Berryman will take up his coaching cleats once more and undertake a new challenge at the head of the Panthers. As an alumni and a teacher, it won’t take Berryman long to find his way around the family structure.
He obviously understands the daily grind that comes with the game, this along with the work and effort he will have to inject to lead the team. Berryman’s time at Northwestern (IN) came to an end in 2011.
This was after he decided that he needed to spend a little more time with his wife and four children. According to Berryman, he has the full support of his family to return to a game that he has given so many years of his life to.
Anyone that has been following the Panthers knows that Berryman played for the team in 1993 and 1994, during the seasons that the saw the Panthers reach the semi-state finals in the one-class system.
Compiling a 226-83 record in the eleven seasons he spent at Northwestern (IN), no one disputes the fact that Berryman is perfect for the job. Since leaving in 2011, Berryman spent some time serving as Western’s athletic director, this before taking a teaching role at Western Middle School.
Berryman clearly has a passion for teaching and guiding children as they work to cement their talents. The coach has known a lot of freshman baseball players, either coaching them on the field or teaching them in class.
He understands children and his vast knowledge base will give him an edge during his time with the panthers.
The Panthers could have performed better under longtime coach Ty Calloway; however, Berryman will take over a relatively decent squad. Berryman knows that a lot of players will be returning from the sophomore to senior class, which gives him a lot of talent to work with.
Many a coach would love to have such a problem, sorting through the glut of talent coming Berryman’s way, this including 14 returning juniors, nine seniors, and twelve sophomores. Berryman will need the numbers and the options if he is to inject his own signature into the squad.
Berryman’s appointment has largely elicited a positive reaction, with panthers’ fans rushing out to welcome Berryman to his new position. Berryman said that he got a call from Steve Bagby in Florida.
Steve and Berryman played on the same 1993 Panthers team under Calloway, and Steve was more than happy to see Berryman take the reins of their former team. As impressive as Calloway was, everyone expects Berryman to exceed him by a considerable margin.
