I will miss all of that stuff at Shadow Hills. “We’ll figure out what’s next in my future as far as that goes. “It’s not like I’m going to stop coaching,” Crisp said. He wants to get his college degree - he finished two years of college before being drafted - because that would open up coaching at the college level as an option. He said he might even take some online college classes this next year. Right now, he’s going to focus on coaching Team Crisp, which includes his 13-year-old daughter and three sons aged 12, 8 and 5. Even though it was a lot of work, I loved doing it.”Īs far as continuing to coach, Crisp does not have a new job lined up, but hopes to coach more in the future. I’m out here trying to keep the mound the right height and trying to fix golf carts. “But I grew to love all those intricate parts. When I played, I didn’t have to worry about that stuff,” he said with a laugh. “I learned a ton about maintaining the field. “You’re a coach but also a psychologist, psychiatrist, therapist, mechanic, gardener. “It was a great learning experience, and, honestly, I didn’t know that coaching high school would entail as much as it did,” Crisp said. This year, the Knights were 5-10 in league play and did not make the postseason.Ĭrisp said he learned a lot in his first foray as a high school baseball coach, primarily all the off the field stuff that is involved. He led the team to the playoffs last year after an 8-4 mark in the DVL, suffering a first-round loss. In two years with the Knights, Crisp compiled a 22-31 record, including 13-14 in league play. You feel sad that you’re leaving something behind, but I know these kids will keep working hard next year and beyond that are going to be special for them.” “Especially with all the hard work the young men and coaching staff at Shadow Hills have put in to build the program. “It’s a move that is best for our family, but it’s going to be hard because I obviously built a lot of relationships out here in the desert,” Crisp said.
The former major leaguer and World Series champion gave official notice to Shadow Hills High School (Indio, California) athletic director Michael Walsh on Thursday that he was stepping down after two years as the baseball coach at the school.Ĭrisp said Thursday by phone that he and his family are moving out of the desert and it wouldn’t have made sense to try to commute and give the job the attention it deserved. The Coco Crisp era has ended at Shadow Hills.