Hall of Fame coach to take Neosho post

July 04, 2009 01:03 am

— By Anvil Welch
awelch@joplinglobe.com
Millie Gilion, athletic director at Crowder College, is returning to the coaching ranks as softball coach at Neosho High School.
A laughing Gilion suggested Friday she really hasn’t been away.
“I coach all summer, and I believe we played 90 games last summer,” Gilion said. “I’ve never been away from coaching.
“Still, I guess I haven’t coached at the high school level,” Gilion said.
Gilion, who was inducted into the NJCAA Fast Pitch Softball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2002, guided Crowder to a record of 506-141 in 13 seasons. She also was a graduate assistant at Northeastern State of Tahlequah before taking the reins at Crowder in 1987-88.
Melissa Clark, who assisted Grant Young last season, joins Gilion in guiding the Wildcats.
“It will be a great experience for me,” Clark said. “Coach Gilion obviously brings a lot of knowledge and there are always things to learn.”
Said Gilion: “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with the players and coach Clark. Coach Clark has done an outstanding job working with the players this summer.”
Clark has taken the Wildcats to a team camp at Missouri Southern. They also compete in a league at Carthage on Wednesday nights.
Clark also helps with conditioning and agility workouts during the week (in June and July).
The Neosho head position became vacant with the late departure of Young to Purdy.
“I’m looking forward to the experience,” Gilion said. “It will be a lot of fun.”
Gilion (formerly George) starred at Crowder as a softball player out of Miami High School. Her husband, Jamey, coaches at nearby East Newton High School and their daughter, Ashley, will be a sophomore softball player at Neosho.
“This job will be after hours (from her Crowder duties) and will last about eight weeks,” she said.
Gilion emphasized that softball preparation for a season is different.
“Most of our returning varsity players (from last season) are playing in the summer,” she said. “Most of our players will come into the season ready to go.”
Cindy Brown, director of public information at Crowder, said in a release that Gilion taking the Neosho High School position is an example of how Crowder “always has been proactive in responding to the community’s needs.
“Just last year, Crowder opened its Longwell Museum for operations of Scholastic’s Neosho Call Center,” Brown said. “Our history of helping goes back 20 years when Benton School was condemned and Crowder’s Newton Hall and CCTEC housed elementary students so they could finish the school year.
“We are again stepping to the plate to help the community,” Brown said. “Part of Crowder’s mission is a focus on the strong ties and relationships between the college and the community.”