Wedekind named as PHS softball coach

PRINCETON — Brik Wedekind has wore a lot of hats at Princeton High School. He's been quarterback, point guard, pitcher, assistant basketball, baseball and football coach and custodian.

Now's he's going to try the head softball coach hat on for size. His anticipated hiring became official at Wednesday's school board meeting.

"I'm excited about getting started. It's my first varsity job," Wedekind said Thursday morning.

Wedekind, 26, is a 2010 graduate of PHS, a member of the football, basketball and baseball teams. He went off to play football at Monmouth College and returned to his alma mater in the fall of 2014 to become assistant football coach. He has also coached F/S baseball and is in the middle of his third season as sophomore boys basketball coach.

He said all those experiences will help as he takes over the softball program.

"I think being around kids every single day, being on custodian staff and being able to be in lower Prouty with the seniors just getting to know them (will help). I think some of them will have a good understanding how I coach when they come to games," Wedekind said.

"I think it’s been huge coming back to the area where people know me a little bit. I’m starting to get through some kids now that don’t know me. It’s been a little bit more of challenge, to where when I had Jake (Reinhardt) and Jett (Wedekind) and those guys, they knew exactly what they were going to get.”

And what they're going to get, he said, is "a disciplined coach. Somebody who’s definitely going to be committed to them. If I'm going to do it I’m going to go all in with it. It’s not going to be doing it halfway. I know my staff and I will continue to work until we get the job done."

He said the first order of business is to have a meeting and “introduce myself to the girls and go from there.” The first official day of practice is Feb. 26.

An assistant coach has yet to be named. Wedekind's wife, Brianna, formerly served as F/S coach and played for PHS, and while he would have love having her on staff one day, she is busy these days taking care of their newborn son, Braxton Blaze, 5 1/2 months old, he said.

Wedekind succeeds Alyssa Rose, who resigned as head coach after two seasons.

Comment on this story at www.bcrnews.com.