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CHILLICOTHE — After leading Unioto’s softball program to back-to-back district championships, head coach Rob Hull will be watching his Shermans from a different viewpoint next spring.
Hull, who was 104-24 during his five-year tenure, announced his resignation to district administration on Tuesday — marking the end of one of the school’s best-ever five-year runs.
“This wasn’t an easy decision to make,” Hull said. “I love coaching. It’s been a big part of my life for a lot of years. But where the program is today, and the success we’ve had, it makes this decision a little easier. I’m extremely proud of what’s been built here at Unioto. There is tremendous talent throughout that will continue to be successful going forward. That’s why I feel this is the best time for myself and my family to step away.”
When Hull took the reins of the program in 2019, the Shermans were coming off a 12-15 season.
Under Hull’s leadership, the team — with many of the same pieces in place — finished 17-6.
That trend continued throughout his tenure, which included three sectional championships, back-to-back district crowns in 2023 and 2024 and the program’s first Gold Ball since 1998.
“When I first took over the program, there needed to be a major culture change in order to be successful,” Hull said. “They had to learn how to win. It was a complete mentality shift because the program was coming off a losing season. There was no feeder program. There was no junior varsity team, and only one junior high team with a minimal youth program. Within the first year, we added two junior high teams and held youth camps to build up that program. Now we have close to 200 girls in our entire system, tons of talent from the youth to high school levels, and winning records with multiple championships at every level.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
While he was at Unioto, Hull coached two SVC Players of the Year in Alexis Book and his own daughter, Hannah, as well as numerous all-district and all-state honorees.
He was a three-time District Coach of the Year.
But while wins and accolades are nice, they aren’t what he’ll miss. More than anything, he’ll miss the memories that he and his girls made while earning everything they received.
“I’ve had a lot of very talented ball players come through this program with many already playing, or getting ready to play at the next level. But sometimes, the interactions and the day-to-day conversations with everyone outweigh the talent for me,” Hull said. “I love seeing them all be successful, not just on the ball field, but in life as well. I’m going to miss coaching for sure and that wonderful feeling after a big win. But the smiles that you see looking back at you during a team huddle, the simple conversations in the dugout, or the pitcher and catcher telling me, ‘We got this, go back to the dugout,’ during a mound visit, those are the moments I will miss. Watching each of them grow up and become leaders, that’s what it’s all about. I’ll miss that the most.”
While he won’t be in the dugout, Hull will still be involved with the program. His daughter, sophomore Haylee, will return to help lead a youth-filled roster to their eventual destination.
It’ll be a different perspective for sure, but one that’s welcome at this point in Hull’s life.
“There are so many things I’m proud of during this journey,” Hull said. “One is all the facility upgrades over the years. I believe we have one of the best facilities in southern Ohio. It’s something to be proud of, as a coach and as a player. But my proudest moments are winning our first district championship in 29 years and making the school’s first ever Elite 8 appearance. Then, our back-to-back district championships, along with a Gold Ball. That will forever be the class of 2024’s legacy. But those moments fall well short to the district championship win with my two daughters together on the field. There aren’t many coaches, if any, that get to experience a moment like that. It was truly a blessing, and my happiest moment as a coach. A coach is only as good as the people they surround themselves with, and I’ve been blessed to have a great coaching staff around me. So for Matt Book and Brooke Blevins, thank you for being a part of this journey. To Mike White, Matt Thornsberry, Matt Combs, thank you for your support and dedication during my tenure. And to the players, parents, fans, and the many others that have helped along this journey, thank you for everything.”
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