School: Hanford West

He's qualified because: In first season as Huskies head coach after serving one year as an assistant, Harger guided Hanford West to a second straight Central Section Division III championship. Huskies went 29-7, an improvement from their 20-13 record in 2009, won the West Yosemite League title and finished No. 6 in final D-III state rankings by Cal-Hi Sports.

She said it: "He gives you what you give him. You have to stay focused with him. As long as you give him 100%, he will give you 100%." — Hanford West junior pitcher/first baseman Breanna Young

It was with at least a small amount of trepidation that Jeff Harger accepted the job as Hanford West High's softball coach following the program's march to the Central Section Division III championship in 2009.

Despite a roster that featured 11 returning players — including his daughter, Hannah — from last season's title run, Harger knew he could be taking on a complacent group of girls, most of them still underclassmen.

"That was one of my worries going in," said Harger, an assistant to then-Huskies coach Arnie Garza in 2009. "But the girls motivated themselves. This group of girls, they don't like to lose. They are very competitive. They took it amongst themselves to make sure they got back to where they were last year."

With Harger at the helm, the Huskies improved their overall record from 20-13 in 2009 to 29-7, won the West Yosemite League title after placing third in 2009, and captured a second straight D-III championship. Harger is The Bee's Softball Coach of the Year.

"Jeff is an amazing coach," said junior pitcher/first baseman Breanna Young, the WYL's Most Valuable Player. "He's helped all of us improve dramatically. He's done a lot for the Hanford West softball program."

While Harger praised the Huskies' self-motivation for their success, which included a No. 6 final state ranking in D-III by Cal-Hi Sports, Young said the first-year varsity head coach deserves plenty of credit, too.

"He teaches you something new every day," Young said. "He's very hard on us, but he pushes you to do your best. He knows what you are capable of and he wants you to improve your skills in everything you do. He wants you to give 100% in school, sports and in life."

Like many fathers, Harger got involved in coaching softball because he wanted to work with his daughter. He started in rec ball before gravitating to travel ball, where he coached Hannah and several other current Huskies with the Hanford-based Central Cal Dirt Dogs.

Harger said he's coached seven of his current players for the past nine years, so while he knew complacency was a possibility, he also knew about this group's work ethic and drive to be the best.

"All the girls were on the same page from day one, they wanted to repeat," Harger said. "When you have a group of girls who work as hard as these girls do, it makes it easy."