OHS star from 1993-96 coached in Coffey Field dugout for 20+ years, last 7 years as head coach
When the next high school softball season begins to take shape at Osceola High, a very, very, very familiar face will not be in the dugout.
Head coach Miranda Watford, who played, assisted and for the last seven seasons led the Kowboys from the dugout at what is now George Coffey Field, announced Friday that she is stepping down. She made the announcement on Facebook Friday, and when interviewed, echoed her post regarding the changing landscape of coaching youth sports.
"The culture of high school sports, coaching, the school, and this community have changed drastically and as hard as it is, it’s time for a change," she said. "It's hard to accept the new way things are with travel ball, transfers, NIL. I think it's just time to have a fresh coach for the program. It's the right decision."
Watford became the head coach in 2020 — "the COVID year", "When we got to play all of 10 games," she said — after longtime Coach George Coffey, the man who built the program and, literally, the complex, retired the spring prior. She led the Kowboys to an 81-74 record with two district titles and an Orange Belt Conference crown, all the while working to develop players by competing against the toughest competition available. Osceola annually plays in the top bracket of the Roger Jones Kissimmee Klassic, started by Coffey and run by its namesake, becoming regarded as one of top high school tournaments in the Southeast.
Watford's connection to that tournament at the program started in 1993; OHS qualified for two state tournaments in her four-year varsity career (1993-96). Watford was only away from the program during a college playing career at Daytona Beach Community College and Rollins College, as she returned to Osceola to coach the volleyball team in 2000 and then become an assistant to Coffey in 2001.
Osceola High Athletic Director Jerry Gallman said Watford was the perfect coach to lead the coaching transition after Coffey, who passed away at age 66 in December 2021, led the program for a quarter-century.
"It’s always difficult to follow a legend, but the impact she has had on her players through her leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the program will be incredibly difficult to replace," he said. "I wish I could say Miranda's retirement came as a surprise, but it’s something we’ve discussed since I took over as Athletic Director. So, when my phone rang earlier this week and I saw it was her, I had a feeling I knew what the conversation would be."
Watford was a dutiful assistant for nearly 20 years, bridging the gap from players to the staff, all the while staying active in the game, playing competitively in high-level slowpitch softball and making a pro appearance with the Kissimmee-based USSSA Pride of National Pro Fastpitch in 2009.
"Coach (Charlene) Davids started it and Coach Coffey took it to new heights and combined, they made it what it is today," Watford said. "They taught us so much, supported us through all stages of life, we laughed together and cried together. They were definitely a hard act to follow, but i pray I made them proud as it was an honor to take the helm over the last seven years. It was an honor to represent Lady Kowboy Softball and Osceola High School as player, coach, and now as just an alumni."
Former Kowboys AD Rick Tribit, who worked with Watford for his five years there, said he saw her obligation to the legacy of the program.
"A consummate Kowboy, one of the last of them, that sums it up," he said. "She worked at every level and kept the program going under the pressure of filling George's shoes, and just wearing the name 'Osceola Kowboys' on her jersey. "She just worked her tail off, you never wondered where her heart was. That's the way she's wired."
While Gallman's been the Kowboys' AD for just a year, he said he and Watford's paths have crossed for decades in several roles.
"She was a student in my first year of teaching and later a member of my staff during my first year as an Athletic Director," he said. Watching her grow and seeing the positive influence she has had on countless student-athletes has been a privilege.
"I look forward to working alongside her as we begin the search for her successor. Knowing Miranda, her love and dedication to this program won’t allow her to stay away completely.
Watford said she's willing to help find the next Kowboys softball coach.
"It's a program that's changed a lot of lives and meant a lot to a lot of people," she said.
