Assistant coaches rise to top in Swampland

The Swampland Summer Baseball League started five years ago to help high school players develop their game during the offseason.

The league has not only been positive for the players but also for the assistant coaches who become head coach during the six-week competition.

Terrel Hebert, fourth-year South Terrebonne-based South Louisiana Bank head coach, has had the most success, winning league titles in 2007 and 2008 and runner-up in 2006.

“One thing we do is take (Swampland) seriously. We use this as a building block,” he said. “That’s why we had the success we had the last few years.”

Handling the different on-field responsibilities is a breeze. It’s the off-the-field duties that are more of a challenge, according to the Swampland head coaches.

“I’m used to just handling the pitchers, and now I have to worry about the lineup, who’s in and out, the music and paying the umpires,” said Josh Constant, second year Vandebilt Catholic-based Robichaux Ford head coach.

“Hats off to my brother (David, Vandebilt head coach) because he usually handles that stuff. I’m like, ‘He can keep it for right now,’ because I can just concentrate on pitching during the regular season.”

Second-year Morgan City Tigers assistant coach Marc Gonzales brings a wealth of baseball experience to the Skippers’ Sporting Goods Tigers.

He coached high school summer league American Legion Baseball in Canada and was an assistant coach in college for 10 years – including six at Nicholls (1998-2003). However, his first year in Swampland is proving to be more demanding.

“You have to make sure the concession stand is stocked and somebody is working it and working the gate and make sure all the field work is getting done,” he said.

Despite the added duties, wielding the reins of a Swampland team has only increased the assistants’ desire to one day become head coaches themselves.

Constant, a former Thibodaux High and LSU-Shreveport pitcher, originally hoped to coach prep and then college baseball. Instead, he got into football and became Vandebilt’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

“I’m at Vandebilt because of football, but this baseball thing is what I know. I’ve been around it my whole life,” he said. “I was completely out of baseball for two years. Just being out here last year for Swampland fired me up again.”

Hebert, a 1985 South Terrebonne graduate and former player, longed to lead his alma mater.

“I always wanted to coach Gators baseball, but I had bigger aspirations than a teacher’s salary,” he said. “I’d have to do it like I am now. I couldn’t be a teacher and do it.”

The assistants said they coach the players in the Swampland League similar to the way their respective head coaches would during the regular season. Therefore, Swampland play becomes an extension of the high school season.

However, the assistants do bring their own managerial style to the head coach position.

“(David) has a hitter’s mindset, and I have a pitcher’s mindset,” Constant said. “He’s thinking through the game as a hitter and defender, and I’m looking at the game from that little dirt mound. As much as I want the kids to be aggressive, I’m more of a ‘Let’s make sure we’re doing the right things to get players into position with a chance to score runs,’ where he’s letting them bang it out there and try to score runs.”

With the junior varsity players, coaches use the Swampland League to develop their game. For the varsity players, Swampland games are taken as seriously as the regular season.

“At the varsity level, it’s, ‘Let go out there and win. Let’s set the tone for next season,'” Gonzales said.

All the assistants hope to see some of their young, inexperienced players begin to blossom into All-District caliber talent in Swampland play.

The Gators will need to replace eight starters from last season’s squad, including Hebert’s oldest son Brock who was District 8-5A MVP.

Besides seniors Gilbert Bergeron and Ronnie Thormas, the Gators’ fortunes will hinge largely on a sophomore and a freshman.

“Our catcher Zack, that’s my other son, has a chance over the next three years to do something,” Hebert said. “We have a freshman pitcher, Jacob Neil. I think he’s going to be something special before his Gator career ends.

Neil threw a no-hitter June 9 against the South Lafourche High-based Bayou Boys.

Constant was in the same predicament as Hebert in 2008. This year he only needs to replace two starters, but Austin Hebert and Stephen Martinez were probably the Terriers’ top players.

“We need a guy to step in for Austin and be a number one pitcher,” Constant said. “We need a three-hole hitter and someone able to play shortstop. Somebody’s got to step up and we have a pretty good idea who it will be. Really, we just want to see guys improve.”

Gonzales is looking for seniors Clayton Williamson, Cody Fontenot, Lonnie Veillion and Corey Navarro to take on leadership roles for the Tigers.

So far they seem to be up to the task.

“Clayton has really stepped up at third base. Our defense was really struggling, but he made some very big plays in key situations that led to victories,” Gonzales said. “Cody has really stepped up for us with two outings on the mound. He’s shown he is going to pitch well in the spring.”

The Swampland League has proven to be an accurate indicator of how well teams will perform the following year. Most teams that make the Swampland playoffs tend to earn a spot in the Louisiana High School Athletic Association playoffs.

Maybe that shows that these assistant coaches are ready for a shot at a head-coaching job.

“If you’re not out here to get better, you’re in the wrong place,” Constant said. “Everybody is building from where we left off after that last playoff game. That last game eats at all the players and it eats at me. We want to win this whole thing. Swampland is very important because we’re getting better with every game, every pitch and every swing.”

Robichaux Ford head coach Josh Constant gives a pitch sign during a game. The Vandebilt Catholic coach is one of five assistant coaches who become head coaches during Swampland League play. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF