Tom Reagan, assistant athletic director, was named interim head varsity baseball coach mid-season last week after Chuck Gandolfi was relieved of the position.

Reagan has been a baseball enthusiast his whole life, playing from childhood into college, as well as coaching at Clinton High School, Lake Forest High School, and for eight years at Lake Zurich.

“I’ve been with multiple schools, I’ve coached under multiple people, so I think the experience I bring to the program will be the biggest thing,” Reagan said. “I’ve worked with all levels, freshman up through varsity. We do have a young team [this season, so] that will work out nice, since I have coached all age ranges at the high school level.”

Even with his previous baseball experience, there are difficulties for any coach starting with a team mid-season, says Reagan.

“As a coach, getting to know the players [will be difficult], having not coached them before. Just getting to know their personalities as baseball players will probably be the biggest challenge because I’m coming in at an inopportune time as far as in the middle of the season,” Reagan said.

The timing of Reagan’s re-entrance to the program was due to a personnel issue with the previous coach at the school, which administration cannot comment at this time. Another local news source reported on the dismissal and interviewed Gandolfi as well.

“A coach has an effect on a program, but a true program, and we have a great program here, involves all the coaches,” Reagan said. “Those coaches have done a great job throughout the year and they will continue to do a great job.”

Reagan coached his first game with the team on April 9 against Barrington. Even though the first game ended in a loss, the team is hopeful for the rest of the season, according to Shane Nolan, junior and varsity baseball captain.

“I thought our first game with Reagan went pretty well,” Nolan said.  “Everyone tried to just focus on the game and Mr. Reagan was only encouraging us [to].”