Coach of the Year: Marian Battles

Boredom didn't get the best of this Fresno State grad.

Published online on Monday, Dec. 24, 2007

Marian Battles didn't have an instant fondness for coaching.

After she transferred from San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton to Fresno State to earn a teaching degree in physical education, she got her first taste of it at age 19.

The experience wasn't what she expected.

"They'd send us out to schools to coach and referee. It was not fun, and it was boring," said Battles, who first coached junior high athletes in Fresno Unified. "I learned you have to leave that mentality of playing as an athlete behind to coach."

Tennis was her main sport, as she played her freshman year at Delta. But she had to give up tennis at Fresno State in order to make ends meet.

"There were five kids in our family, and I wanted to go away to college, but my parents said, 'You have to pay for it,' " she said. "I had to work 20-30 hours a week while I was going to Fresno State, so it was the last of my playing days. Looking back, I wished I would've played tennis."

With all her focus on school and work, Battles finished her degree in 1977 and took a teaching and coaching job at Kerman High. She was the tennis and volleyball coach for nine years.

"All the girls who played tennis, they fed into volleyball because back then it was separate seasons and it made for great cross-over skills," said Battles, who early on was only 5 years older than the seniors.

She took a job at Yosemite High for seven years and ran a "dynasty" of tennis and volleyball teams.

"We kicked everybody's butt because of the feeder system at Yosemite," she said.

Battles -- this season's Bee Coach of the Year -- landed her current job as a P.E. teacher and volleyball coach at Buchanan in 1994-95, which marked the first graduating class of the Clovis school.

Her first year at Buchanan was her toughest challenge in 14 years. Battles inherited a team of seniors who were resistant to a new coach. The juniors didn't want to play, either, but she had a solid group of freshmen the next season.

Their era marked the beginning of the Bears dynasty under Battles.

"I had seven sophomores on varsity and those kids were like sponges," she said. "That group with Allison Parks, Brooke Tirapelle, Melissa Durham and junior Becky Potter won the first Valley title. They established it all, the hard work and dedication, and just got it."

At age 53, Battles still has the winning touch. She led the Bears to their 11th conference title and third straight Central Section title (seventh overall). She's produced about a dozen Division I college players.

Buchanan seniors Brianna Clarke and Baylee Platt, who've been part of three section titles, signed to play at Fresno State.

"Marian's always been extremely supportive," Clarke said. "She cares and is concerned with our health, too."

Clovis coach Brenda Read has known Battles since 1992 when she moved from Yosemite.

"We were neighbors," Read said, "Marian is an amazing person and an amazing coach. She gets better and better each year, and no one knows the endless hours, day and night, she puts into coaching volleyball. She's taught me a lot and she's a good friend."