Southfield High School lost several head coaches this year. Stephen Sharp retired from coaching Varsity baseball, Richard Crist retired from Boys Track, Jamie Glinz gave up Varsity
Softball and Ernie Taber retired from coaching Girls Tennis.
Stephen Sharp has been coaching baseball for 40 years. He started coaching baseball at SHS in 2001. With his teams, he has brought two league championships, a district championship and
many great memories.
Sharp said putting the uniform away was easy to do. He said the hardest thing about leaving was missing the boys: “I’ve built a great relationship with these players, and not coaching them this year – for some of these boys their last year at Southfield – just made this decision the toughest.”

So why did he decide to step down this year? He said, “I couldn’t promise these boys the time they deserve if I’m their head coach.”

Time was a factor for other coaches, as well. Crist is dedicating more time to his family. With his son turning one in November, it is an exciting time in his life, he said, but it means he needs a lot more free time to be home with his family. Not only that but his father, Harrison Crist, just had a stroke and is still recovering and needs the help of his family to recover, Crist said.
With all this pressure on Crist’s shoulders, he had to give something up, he said.
While coaching the Boys Track team for the last eight years, “I’ve built some great times with these kids, and I had to let go this year for my family,” Crist said.
Jamie Glinz remains active with the Boys’ Varsity Baseball team, assisting the new head coach, Andy Green. He is still in charge of the Varsity Girls Basketball Team and the five social studies class he still teaches every day.
With all that on Glinz’s plate and a family of two boys and a wife at home, he
had to let something go to make sure he gave every responsibility the amount of time needed, he said.
Glinz has been coaching the Varsity Girls’ Softball team for 6 years.
He has coached girls such as Adriana Echols all through high school and asking her about the change up in coaching her senior year she says, “I love
Coach Glinz. He’s taught me a lot, and it’s a learning experience even though I’m losing a great coach.”
As for Coach Taber, his daughter Brittnay Taber is on her way to her junior year of high school at
Southfield Christian High School. She is a softball player and Taber never got the time to watch her because he was coaching the Girl’s Varsity Tennis team during softball season.
As a result, Taber said he chose this year to make time for his daughter.
Taber is still involved with the Boy’s Varsity Tennis team and says he would love to get back to coaching the girls two years from now when his daughter graduates if the job is open.