Former Liberty High School assistant softball coach, Sam Carrodo, was planning on saying good-bye to his coaching career through retirement at the end of last season, but something brought him back to be the new head softball coach for the Hurricanes.

"You love what you're doing so much, it never goes away from you," Carrodo said.

Of course, with his change of heart came a needed blessing from his family.

"They were set for me to stop," he said.

Carrodo originally came to Liberty as an assistant under head coach Rich Giering after leading Northampton Community College's softball team from 1998 until 2010.

"Rich did a great job for six years. It's really going to be tough to follow up something like that," said Carrodo.

The new head coach plans to bring a new look and outlook to the Hurricanes.

Besides the fact that eight of Liberty's nine starters graduated, Carrodo has put together an all-female staff.

"I think it's a better fit for the girls. I wanted to stay true to what I felt would be best for this team," he said.

There will be nine assistants in all, some coaching junior varsity, and all graduates of Liberty or Northampton Community College with the exception of Maria DeBonis who is returning as pitching coach.

"It means something to these girls [the assistants], winning and the tradition they developed," said Carrodo.

Try-outs will begin March 2 with Liberty's first game scheduled for March 21.