After coaching the Cabot Lady Panthers softball team to one of the greatest seasons in school history, third-year coach Chris Cope is the 2015 Three Rivers Edition Diamond Sports Coach of the Year.
“Cabot has always been a strong school for softball from when it started until now,” Cope said, referring to 1998, when fast-pitch softball became a varsity sport for the
district, which is based in northern Lonoke County. “When we came in — I’m not taking anything away from coach Becky
Steward — we gave it new life. I’ve got to give credit to the girls. They’ve come in and done everything we’ve asked them the last three years.” Steward coached the Lady Panthers in fast-pitch from 1998 until she retired from teaching after the 2012 season.
Cabot finished the 2015 season 27-5, losing to two-time defending state champion North Little Rock in the Class 7A state championship game 10-3 on May 22 at Bogle Park in Fayetteville. The state-title appearance was Cabot’s second, but its first since 2000, when the team lost to Rogers in the finals of the Class 5A state tournament.
The Lady Panthers, under Cope, have improved each season, going 14-14 in 2013 and 15-13 in 2014, then having the breakthrough season this year.
Cope said the 2015 season started for his team in August.
“The girls just came together as a team. … That’s the biggest thing; we jelled as a team,” Cope said. “We had depth throughout the year. We had several girls who could play. That makes a difference, not having to count upon nine each game.”
Cope said he thought his team could make a serious run at the state championship when the Lady Panthers swept North Little Rock in two conference games — April 21 at North Little Rock and April 23 at Cabot.
“We played a tough schedule,” he said. “Coming out of that, we just had four losses for the season. We made our schedule as tough as we could, playing teams in each classification. I think that helped us prepare for the 7A state.”
Cabot’s four regular-season losses came to Marion, Bald Knob, Sheridan and Benton.
Benton was the 2014 Class 6A state champion. Bald Knob has won the past two Class 3A state titles, and Sheridan played in the Class 6A state title game this season.
“We wanted to see this competition to help us along the way to make us better each game,” Cope said.
Cope was also selected as the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Softball Coach of the Year. He coached the East All-Stars in a doubleheader Tuesday at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway. Two of his players, Megan Goodnight and Erin Eckert, were also selected to participate in the games.
Eckert said Cope is a mentor and a father figure to her.
“Coach tells all of us constantly that he will do anything for any one of us and loves us like his own,” Eckert said. “I’ve gone to him crying before because I was stressed out about personal things happening in my life, and he sat me down and talked to me for as long as I wanted to. As a ballplayer, he was always available to stay after practice and help you in any way you needed it.”
Eckert, who recently signed to play softball for the club team at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, said she will miss playing for Cope.
“I honestly could not put into words how much I will miss playing for him next year,” she said. “He has made such a huge impact on not only me but numerous girls on the team. Although we will go on and play for different coaches in the future, I’m not sure that we’ll find what we have with Coach Cope again. I could not have asked for a better coach to end my high school career.”
Cope, 42, is a 1991 graduate of Beebe High School. He graduated from Arkansas State University in Jonesboro in 1996 and began his coaching and teaching career at Harrisburg High School. He was there for eight years before moving to Dardanelle, where he won a state softball title in 2007. From there, Cope coached two years at Siloam Springs and three years at Searcy, winning a state title in 2011. He came to Cabot prior to the start of the 2012-13 school year.
While at Harrisburg, Cope coached basketball and football but started with slow-pitch softball in 1996. Harrisburg switched to fast-pitch softball during Cope’s last two years at the school.
“It kind of stuck with me,” he said. “I grew up playing baseball. Fast-pitch is similar to it. I just love it. The girls play hard for us. It’s a fast-paced game, and it makes it real interesting for us.”
Cope knows the expectations will be high for his team in the future, following its having won two consecutive conference titles and playing for a state championship in 2015.
“When you start winning, it’s a domino effect,” he said. “They expect to win every time they step on the field. It helps our girls. It doesn’t matter who is out there.”
Staff writer Mark Buffalo can be reached at (501) 399-3676 or mbuffalo@arkansasonline.com.