Yellowjackets’ softball coach resigning after season

Union softball coach Jacob Casey informed his team last week that he would be stepping down from as head coach at the end of this season.

Casey is finishing up his 12th season at Union where he has an overall record of 167-140. The Lady Yellowjackets currently have a 12-8 record and will play two games with Sebastopol this week with a Division 4-2A championship on the line.

Casey said the decision to step down was strictly a family decision. 

“The main reason I’m stepping down is I have a 4-year-old girl and a 1-year old boy and I want to spend more time with them,” Casey said. “Volleyball and softball are both major sports and require lots of attention. If you want to be good at something, you have to put a lot of time in it. I was missing a lot of time at home and just want to spend more time with my family.”

Casey said he is staying at Union and will remain as the head coach for the volleyball program.

“I was going to drop one or the other but after talking with my wife, I picked volleyball,” Casey said. “She does cheer and its in the fall as well so we would have the spring together now. It was a hard decision because I love the kids. At the same time, I’m looking forward to being a husband and father at the same time.”

Casey founded the Union volleyball program and just finished his fourth season where the Lady Yellowjackets finished with a 26-14 record.

“We have a really good group in volleyball right now,” Casey said. “I feel like we have a chance to compete on the state level the next couple of years. The sophomores wee seventh graders when I astarted and they have put a lot of time and effort into it.”

Casey said he hopes that he has left the softball program in good shape and said he thinks whoever gets the job will inherit a good group.

“I took over a very successful program and hope I haven’t left it in worse shape,” Casey said. “I think whoever takes it over, they can be successful right away. We didn’t graduate anybody last year and only graduate one this year and are playing for a district championship this week. I’ve enjoyed my years coaching softball. It’s tough because this is the end of a chapter of my life.”