Hoffer's High School Sports
Hoffer's High School Sports
Andy Coulombe
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The first-year Westbrook baseball coach talks to Michael and Tim about his time as a player at Westbrook, coaching at Kennebunk and returning home to rebuild his alma mater. Coulombe also touches on his influences and that infamous 38-1 loss to Cheverus earlier this season.
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SPEAKER_01Well, welcome back to uh my my favorite podcast, uh, mostly because I'm on it. We have one of my uh one of my favorite coaches. First call that I ever made uh when I when I got the Deering job was um was a no-brainer to call this guy because I when he was a freshman in uh high school at uh Westbrook, I was the JV coach with my brothers, my brother's group. And uh I realized very quickly that he knew more about baseball than I did when I was 32 years old, and uh I looked at him and I was like, Andy, you're gonna make an unbelievable coach one day. And uh by the time his senior year came around, he was like our our unpaid assistant coach while he was still playing. So when I got the job at Deering, I was like, hey, uh what are you doing for the next three months? And you know, he jumped luckily, he jumped on board with me and he's been running ever since. But welcome Westbrook uh high school baseball coach, Andrew, affectionately known as Andy to me. Kulow. Thanks for having me. Yeah, heck yeah. Oh, yeah, and Michael Hoffer too. Oh, you know, that's all right. I'm kind of a given. I'm just part of the furniture over here. But I'm gonna I'm gonna pass it off to you, but uh thanks for letting me sit in on this one.
SPEAKER_02No, absolutely. So uh Andy, first year at Westbrook. It has not been a boring first year, has it? No, certainly has not. Um I mean how it's it's still very early, and I know it's very early in your rebuilding process, but how do you feel like things are going?
SPEAKER_00You know, uh it's a great group of kids, and I think uh they've really bought into you know the the culture of uh what we're trying to do, uh especially with the rebuild. Um, you know, putting an emphasis on getting better every day, um doing all the little things correctly, um, not just in games but at practice, um how we prepare ourselves. Um you know, it's we've got 17 kids in the program and uh it it's uh it it's been a lot of fun. Um, you know, I think for me being able to come back home has been a really cool experience. Um something I actually never thought was gonna be the case. Um But uh yeah, it's it's it's a it's a great it's a great, you know, first year. Um I'm I'm really enjoying my time with with that group and I'm I'm looking forward to you know seeing all of the the hard work and and progression um pay off down the road.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, after you were at Kennebunk for several years, so was it the appeal of coming home and what what was the reason you decided to make the switch?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um I actually stepped steps aside from Kennybunk um at the end of last season um with the uh intention of um coaching my own kids. I have three three young boys at home. Um my oldest is um in uh double A minors for for Westbrook Little League. Um and you know, I was gonna just coach him. Um I was gonna get involved in Little League and try and help rebuild um from the lower levels. Um and then um I think the Westbrook job opened in uh either late October, early November. Um and I had a few phone calls, a few feelers, um you know, uh asking if I was interested. And and and originally I said no, um, you know, because that was a promise I made to my kids, um, and that was something that I wasn't willing to to budge on. Um, you know, was I I wanted to be to be able to coach them and and be more involved in in their day-to-day lives. And um you know, it it turned out, you know, a couple of conversations here and there. Um and you know, uh thank you to my wife more than anybody, because she's the one that really pushed me to uh to do this. Um, you know, because you know, I I really w did try and find, you know, somebody who could help, you know, um you know, rebuild the high school program, um and and somebody that I could work with um to bridge the gap. Um and uh, you know, a couple people that I mentioned it to all said, well I'll be your assistant. Um so uh you know, after after, you know, a couple conversations with uh you know some some important people, um, you know, I decided to put my my name in the hat and um fortunate to have gotten it. Um but but yeah, that I I really had no no you know when I left Kenny Bunk, I I I knew at some point I'd be back in the dugout, uh, but I did not expect it to be as soon. Um but uh I'm I'm glad it worked out.
SPEAKER_02You know, Westbrook's in kind of an interesting place right now, right? I mean, I kind of got in on the ground floor there this year with my website, and I I jumped in just in time for the football team's incredible run to a state final, and what a great story that was, and so much community pride and turnout, and you know, boys basketball had a bounce back season, and you know, there's a lot of I think there's a lot of talent in the city, and there's a lot of desire to see these teams do well, you know, and that certainly manifested itself in the fall. But I mean, you know, you've got you've got a lot of work to do, right? But you can also tell that that the you know the foundation is there. Is that fair to say?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, absolutely. Um, and I've actually um you know, I I told SJ Coach Johnson um that probably one of the one of the biggest pulls for me was standing uh on the field after the Westbrook Kiddingbunk game and uh looking at the Westbrook stands, and I was like, this is really, really cool. Um and I I told him that that was when I realized that I wanted to be a part of it. And um, you know, it there's a lot of momentum in that building. There's a lot of really cool things, not just athletically, but you know, academically, music, yeah. Um there's there's just there's a there's a real buzz in that building. Um and uh it's it's really cool for me. You know, uh we're on the ground floor, we we've we have a lot of work to do as far as a baseball program goes, but the there's excitement around it. There's there's um there's a buzz around our team, regardless of of you know the the results so far.
SPEAKER_02Right. Take me back to your playing days, playing for John Eisenhart, playing for Tim Eisenhart. Tim, feel free to jump into with these recollections.
SPEAKER_01I think I'm gonna go to the basketball.
SPEAKER_00No. Um I would uh not categorize myself as the best player. Um, but uh I think for me, you know, my time at Westbrook that led me to want to be a coach was because of John and Tim. Um, you know, they they made me realize that you know it doesn't matter if you are, you know, the starting shortstop or you know you're left bench guarding the water. Um you you have you have a value and you have a role, and it's your job to be the best you can be at that role. So um, you know, I remember vividly one game I I was just picking signs and I and I had all of them within uh you know the first inning, and then uh it was amazing. I think we threw like six runners out that game. Um we had pitch outs every single time, and um, you know, but John and Tim made a huge deal of that at the end of the game, and that for me, you know, s really solidified like doesn't it does not matter if you're gonna be a part of the team, you're gonna do your best in in the role that you're in. And um, you know, like I said, I was not the best player, but I I kind of always knew that you know, coaching the mental aspect of the game was something that uh I was pretty good at. Um so playing for them was just phenomenal. And even at practice, like they coached the best player the same way they coached, you know, me, I'll say it. Umself short. Yeah. Well, I could swing it, but I couldn't throw it, catch it, or or run.
SPEAKER_01So at least you could do something. That's good. Running prowess was not there, but I would say he had one of the one of the most sound swings I've ever seen.
SPEAKER_02So after uh after high school, how quickly did you get involved in coaching? You knew that was gonna be your future, and then what what was the road?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, I actually started coaching. Um I think it was I graduated in 2008, and I think it was 2010. Um I joined uh Mike Rutherford gave me an opportunity to join the Westbrook staff. Um so I did that for two years um with him, which was a cool experience because my brother was um part of that group. Uh he graduated in in uh 2011, um, part of that little league world series crew. Um so um, you know, really a great opportunity to kind of get my feet wet and and learn the coaching side of it um from from Coach Rutherford. And um, you know, I got to got to coach with uh Boomer, uh Keirstead, Andrew Keirstead, who's uh a former former player of my or teammate of mine at Westbrook, um and somebody that I you know uh had a lot of fun coaching with. Um and then uh in at the end of the 2011 season, um I was coaching uh junior legion uh in Westbrook. Uh got to go to the Northeast Regional. Uh we took that championship home, which is uh something that uh you know I'll never forget. Um and then uh Coach Rutherford left to come back to Portland and uh Tim Tim got the deering job and gave me a call. And you know, for me it was uh an opportunity to kind of uh spread my wings a little bit and and you know learn a new program, learn a new system, um, but also be in a system that I was comfortable in because I played for Tim. So um yeah, so I started coaching really early. Um I must have been, you know, I was 19, 20 years old, um, but I haven't looked back. Here I am, 36, and I I think I've missed one season in that that amount of time.
SPEAKER_02And uh in Kennebunk, how did that come about and what was that experience like for you?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so actually when I was teaching uh when I was coaching at Deering, I ended up uh teaching down in Kennebunk. Um and uh you know I got uh got an opportunity to to join that staff. I actually coached eighth grade baseball for a year um because I was uh I worked at the middle school. Um and then there was uh an opportunity to join the high school staff as the J V coach. Um so um you know Brian Dill was there for for a very long time. Uh so uh had a good relationship with him and um did J V for two years um and then I took a year off um just because wasn't you know life was just crazy at the time and I wasn't sure where I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, so um took a year off, and then uh the following year Brian was like, Hey, really want you to come back. Um so I joined his staff as his uh number one assistant. Um and then the COVID season um was supposed to be Brian's last one. It was gonna be his 35th year as the as the head coach. Um, and you know, he he decided that that was still the time to step down. And um I was fortunate enough to to jump in and and take over as the head coach. Um and and uh you know had a great experience. Um I stopped teaching. Um I no longer you know I was I was still coaching in Kennybunk, but I wasn't teaching, so I wasn't driving down there every day for work, and it just became, you know, 35 minutes one way for for a two-hour practice to to come home and you know, I miss uh I miss T ball practice, and it was just just became too much.
SPEAKER_02No, I get it. I that's uh that that's that's such a common theme I hear with you know both male and female coaches, is you know, your kids get to be a certain age and it becomes a very conflicted feeling and all that. So yeah, when you first started with this group, this Westbrook group, I mean, you knew you weren't gonna go fourteen and two and play in the regional final this year, right? I mean, that'd be great if it did. But I mean, what what message did you impart to them as far as expectations and you know talking about the long road?
SPEAKER_00Um so I actually took a uh page out of um uh Mike Vrabel's book. Um he he uh he did uh victory formation on the very first day of practice. So the very first thing we did was how do we win a game? You know, if we get the final out, what do we what do we how do we handle ourselves? We don't just mob the pitcher. Um, you know, we we do it correctly. I really wanted to impress upon them was like understand this feeling, know this feeling, and and want to have this feeling. Um you know, for for a lot of a lot of these kids, um, you know, I'm especially the seniors, I'm their fifth coach in four years. Wow. Um, which is a lot of turnover, a lot of different voices. Um so I think for me coming in, I wanted to make sure that they understood that I wanted to provide them with a positive experience regardless of wins and losses, um, but also to change the culture of you know, we may not win every game, but we're going to do everything we can to win every game. Um, and uh they've done a really, really good job of that so far.
SPEAKER_02Getting that first victory though had to feel good. I don't I don't remember who you beat. Who did you beat? Uh that might be again.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna be uh bathroom. Yeah, uh that might have been the Portland Bulldogs. Uh sorry, John, Charlie, sorry Aiden.
SPEAKER_01No, no apologies necessary. Though that that group of kids played really, really well. I mean, that had to be one of their best defensive games. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00It seemed like things really really clicked for for us that game, um, which was nice. You know, we've we've really been stressing, you know, the the three ingredients are throwing strikes, playing good defense, and timely hits. Um, you know, and and and in all honesty, you know, if you look at our box scores, they're not they're not great, but our pitching has been outstanding. We've been throwing a ton of strikes, um, which is a huge improvement um from you know years past. Um and I think the kids feel that. You know, I've always been the you know, I don't want to walk the ballpark. Let's let's make them string hits together. Um and so our pitching has been has been fantastic. Um we've been throwing strikes. Um, you know, defensively, that we've had some lapses um and we really just haven't we've had opportunities, we just haven't come through with a big hit. But in that Portland game, you know, we we we maximized our opportunities when we had them. Um put a little pressure on the defense when we when we could when you know and um you know it it was just nice to nice a nice feeling for the kids. Um, you know, certainly nice for me to to be back home and get a get a win with West Brad. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's it's a different feeling than than on the road, isn't it? Sure is, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And uh just I mean some of these kids who have been playing really well for you. I know you mentioned you've got some good pitchers and you know, kids that are really stepped up so far in your mind.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, uh well our our pitching staff has been uh Wyatt Poitres, Colby Hodgkins, uh Nate Remington, those have been our three starters, and um, you know, uh I can't say enough uh good things about what all three of them are doing. Um, you know, they're they're not just throwing, they're actually pitching. They're they're they're they're throwing multiple pitches, they're throwing them for strikes, not just swing and miss strikes, um, but like in the strike zone, called strikes, um, which is a huge development for them. And um, you know, Wyatt and Colby are sophomores, Nate's a junior. Um, so that's you know, I think I think for me, I it's really it from the kids' perspective, right? It it you know, you look at everything in a vacuum and it's it's that instant gratification mentality that kids have now, it's it's hard to step back and see what I'm seeing, which is we are so close to being really competitive. Um, you know, and I've said that to them, and it it's really hard for them to to probably believe that because you know, we're still not winning, we're still, you know, it's the same old, same old. But uh, you know, I look at it and go, We are throwing strikes. If we tighten up on defense, and again, we get a timely hit here or there, like you know, you last night against Deering, it's nothing nothing through four. You know, uh you keep throwing strikes, next thing you know, pass ball, walk, bloop hit, and you could win that game. Um, so uh I'm really, really excited. You know, we have we have a lot of young kids. Josh Banter Clark um has been doing a lot for us, either catching or playing center field. Um uh we have Owen Lawrence and Owen Bergstrom um that are kind of learning the outfield at the moment, um, but but putting really good at bats together. Um, you know, and then my seniors, Max Harvey, Owen Redding, uh, Thomas Griffin, they're just you know, uh again, they're they're hearing a new voice again for the fifth time, um, which is insane. Um, but they're they're doing a great job, and and like I said to them, I want to provide them with a good experience, something that they're gonna look back on and and be happy with, you know, be glad that they stuck it out for for four years, and um, you know, just regardless of the wins and losses.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean you you talk about the the kids can't see it, and a lot of that's their age, right? I mean, just not not just instant gratification, it's just you know, you sure you you don't see things at 15 the way you do when you're in your 30s, which is probably a good thing. But um, you know, just not letting them get down. I mean, I gotta ask you about 38 to 1. I mean that's monkey in the room, yeah. That's elephant in the room, yeah. Yeah, which something. But you know, you you lose a game that decisively, and I mean a season can go one of two ways at that point. Sure. And you guys, it seems like you're going the right way where you remain competitive. So how did you keep them focused and not get too down on themselves after a loss that a lot of people saw the score and were just throwing uh you know their opinion out on it, and you know, it wasn't just a run-of-the-mill game.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, sure. I mean, I I I'll be the first one to say uh, you know, when when you don't catch the ball, um, you know, i baseball is one of those games that you can't stop playing. You know, you can't fault I don't fault Chevrolets. Right, yeah. You know, Chevrolet still has to go up and get there at bats, and I you know, uh honestly, like I would never want them to go up and swing and miss on purpose. You know, they they they hit the ball really, really well that day. You know, we had some miscues, but they they were swinging it, and they were they were, you know, there's there's no there's nothing different that they should have or could have done. Um you know, but to our credit, our kids did not quit. Um they they played hard for for the entire game. Um and I think for us as a coaching staff, you know, it would have been easy to just sit back and just fold like an accordion. Um but I didn't want to do that because every every opportun we've preached every opportunity is a is a chance to get better. So, you know, regardless of the score, we're gonna we're gonna still work. Um and and you know, they they really did a nice job of just you know staying the course, playing hard. You know, I I know they were frustrated, of course, you know, nobody wants to be on the losing side of that. Um, but they they really were able to turn the page quickly and and get refocused, and you know, a couple days later we ended up getting that win against Portland. And um, you know, they're I think we've moved on from it a lot sooner than other people have. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02No, I mean that's great, and it certainly bodes well. And then uh, you know, you think about we still have a good amount of season left here. What what are you uh what are you hoping to accomplish here over the course of the remainder of the regular season?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um, you know, uh really it's just continuing to get better every single day. Um we are you know, we have we have Massabezic today, which is game eight, so we're about halfway through the season. Um, you know, really just wanting them to continue to be as competitive as possible. And um, you know, a couple more wins would obviously be great. Um I think we're you know we're really close. Um I I they just have to keep playing, they have to keep working hard. That's that's I think you know probably what I've noticed from the last 15 years of coaching. Uh kids don't watch baseball anymore. Yeah, isn't that crazy? You know, they're talking about MLB the show and the dugout, and I'm like, that's not baseball. Um, you know, so you know, one of the things that i is is hindering us is you know and I don't know how many kids are going out in the street and playing stick ball or wiffle ball like we did is, you know, like that was all the time. Yeah, so it's you know there's there's not enough um not enough opportunities or they haven't just they just haven't played enough um to really see it. Um but but they're getting there and I um you know I'm really pleased, I'm really happy with this group. Um I'm having a ton of fun. Um, you know, and and and they're they're you know as frustrated as they are, and I know they are, um they haven't quit, and that that's that's a testament to them.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Uh last question for me. Uh it seems like Class A South is very wide open this year. You've got some really good teams, you've got some competitive teams that can beat you on a given day. It's it's it's been a fun season. I know there's a lot of fits and starts with the weather, so it's kind of hard to tell um, you know, just uh who the best teams might be at this point. We got a long way to go. But what's what's your interpretation on uh how things are going?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I mean there's a there's a lot of really, really good teams. There's a lot of good pitching too. Um, and I think that's the that's the name of this game is you know, if you can get somebody's number one on any given day, that that team has a chance to beat you. Um, you know, um I I think South Portland probably has the best pitching staff in the league, the deepest anyway. Um, you know, Gorham, TA, um, you know, Falmouth is young, but they're always competitive. um you know Scarborough um I think those are those are your your top your top teams and then everybody else is is you know you Massabis can beat anybody on any given day Noble can beat anybody on any day it it's really hard to to pinpoint you know one team over another um because it is and it and it's baseball any any team can beat anybody on any given day you know so um but it is it it it's it's all wide open and it it really you know who's playing the best in June is gonna be you know that's that's the key.
SPEAKER_02No question. How quickly do you envision this program being back to competitor status? Not to not to put you on the spot but if in a perfect world how quickly can you turn this around?
SPEAKER_00Yeah um we're recording too by the way yeah not to put me on the spot. No I I again I think we're really close. You know we're we're we're young um all the experiences that our young guys are getting this year is only going to benefit them in the future. You know I I really envision we have a really strong c sophomore core um so I'd love to say you know in in two years when they're seniors um we're we're gonna be really competitive. We have a a really we have 24 kids in the middle school program this year. A lot of them are seventh graders. Right. You know so I'm you know part of it's gonna be keeping those kids playing and building the numbers up. You know really hard to be competitive when you have 17 kids in the program um you know as as other teams in the in the league will tell you um but I'm really excited about you know what's coming up the road, um where we're headed all of it you know I just hope that our kids see it as well. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I mean there's nothing like winning in Westbrook. We saw it this fall with football you remember from your days when the baseball team is going well I mean there's there's a ton of community support.
SPEAKER_00There's a desire to win there. There's a desire to win and the community support has been phenomenal. It's the exact same as I remember it as a kid and you know that's there's something special that's for sure and um you know I think I think for me having stepped away you know for so long and being able to come back it I I almost appreciate it more now. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Let's wrap this up with some name association Tim shall we let's go for it. Let me let me throw a couple out and then you can uh then you can take it from there.
SPEAKER_00Mark Campbell great AD yeah great ad really super super guy um seems like he's the right person at the right time there. Yeah you know he's got kids in the district he lives right in Westbrook um he's really he's got a great vision for for not just the athletics but all everything um you know and and he wants he wants to represent Westbrook to the to the best that it can be so I really appreciate that.
SPEAKER_02Joe Schwartzman love Joe.
SPEAKER_00Joe's one of my favorite human beings yeah actually when I when I Joe was one of the people that I was afraid to tell that I was going to take this job because I have so much respect for him and and you know he's been so good to me and gave me my first shot and um you know I coached his son Landon and um you know but he was so supportive and he was like of course you're you're the right man like you know I love Joe.
SPEAKER_02Yeah he's a lacrosse in fact we were texting last night about about some lacrosse games I don't even cover Ken B but but just goes to show how passionate he is about it.
SPEAKER_00So the the him and him and Mark are in the same mold. It's it's you know let's do what's best for kids and that's you can't ask for more from an AD what did you learn with Mike Rutherford your time with him? You know I learned so much about the X's and O's um I there are still things that I learned from him coaching with him that I still do today. He had a way of seeing the game that a lot of people don't like it's those little those little nuances learned a lot in that respect. How about Mike D'Andrea? No I've never coached with Mike I never played for Mike but I've always you know he set the standard for for high school baseball here um in Maine so um you know I I've I've always the way those that those teams hold runners and and do all those funny pickoff moves and you know it's uh it's never fun to go and play a Mike d'Andria team that's for sure. All right Tim the the ball is yours. John Eisenhart. Which one I'm assuming your brother yeah yeah no uh I've got all all the love in the world for John Eisenhart I I owe him so much.
SPEAKER_02I owe Tim Eisenhart so much too I was gonna say myself I was gonna say myself a last just after you were going to go there so uh doctor coach uh Megan crimin coulomb she's a saint uh there's not much more to that she is uh I wouldn't be able to do what I do without her that's for sure and uh yeah she's alright that one she yeah I hit the jackpot them Coulomb boys how much are they driving you right now you know it was funny when I stepped away from Kenny Bunk I think the person who was most upset was Weston which is my oldest um you know because he he gets right in there and you know gets to know the kids and um you know so when I when I was like hey buddy you know what do you think you know if daddy coaches Westbrook are you gonna coach me like you know um yeah it there's a lot of a lot of drive for for me for the program a lot of it comes from from wanting them to have a great experience when they get to to the high school um but yeah they're they're driving a lot of this Michael Hoffer what a heck of a guy heck of a writer oh good continue we've got time there's no there's no time limit here um no this is great I wish you the best I I I know I can just tell by your passion and and your commitment that this program is going to be turned around in no time I'm looking forward to a a similar resurgence that we saw with the with some of the other Westbrook sports and uh I wish you nothing but the best and I I thank you for taking some time and joining us today. I appreciate it thank you very much.