Longtime Monett baseball coach lauded for consistency

By Jared Lankford monettsports@gmail.com

For nearly a quarter of a century, Michael Calhoun, has been a fixture as the head coach of Monett baseball and as the third base coach.

In April, Calhoun reached a milestone at Monett, acheiving his 300th career victory as the team’s skipper.

“I think about how much God has blessed me to be here for over 500 games,” Calhoun said. “I think about all the players that have gone through here, that I have been fortunate to be a part of their lives and to be their coach. Wins and losses aside, just making those connections with parents, players and fans is what has been the most special.”

It is a rarity today for coaches to have a career over 20 years at the same school and as the coach of the same program.

“I have been here 25 years total and 24 as the team’s head coach,” Calhoun said. “I think I’m sneaky. No one notices me. In all seriousness, I think it is because my expectations are known, and we take a steady approach to practice and the season. Players know what we need from them and how to work.”

Few people at Monett High School know Calhoun any better than Ty Goetz, Monett athletic director.

Goetz had the unique perspective of being an assistant coach under Calhoun.

“When I first started at Monett, Coach Calhoun and I spent more time with each other than with our wives,” Goetz said. “We coached football, basketball, baseball and then Legion baseball together. We weren’t afraid to challenge each other. He’d question some things I did, and I would question some things he did, but we did it in a way that we learned from each other. That’s something that I always appreciated.”

Goetz also noted that Calhoun’s professionalism has been key to his longevity.

“He’s done a really good job at the school, whether as a teacher or administrator,” Goetz said. “He does things the right way. Being the athletic director now, it is a huge blessing to have a coach like Calhoun to anchor this program — you can’t replace or hire that type of consistency overnight.”

Calhoun said he never wanted to be a micromanager as a coach; he wanted both his players and assistants to take ownership.

“I have really tired to let my assistants take ownership,” Calhoun said. “I let them run their position groups. Now, I will throw stuff in there, but I want them to develop a leadership role, whether that is calling pitches or whatever. I want to them to give me ideas. I want them to think.”

Calhoun came to Monett after Richard “Whitey” Mettlach invited him apply.

“I played in some all-star games with Whitey’s son Lance Mettlach, and Whitey, who was Monett’s first coach, coached me in some of those games,” Calhoun said. “Whitey asked me to apply, and that is how I came to Monett. He was a big influence on my life.”

While retirement is not currently on Calhoun’s radar, he does have an idea of how he wants to be remembered at Monett.

“I want to be remembered as someone who cared about baseball at Monett,” he said. “I want people to say that the program is in a better position now that when I got here. I also want to be known for having a positive impact upon players — not just on the field, but for making a positive difference in their lives.”