A coaching change for the Grand Island Senior High tennis programs is a good news/bad news situation for activities director Joe Kutlas.
The bad news is the retirement of co-coaches Scott and Nancy Cowgill, who have made a big impact and helped raise the quality of Islander tennis for the past seven years.
The good news is finding a pair of qualified coaches who aren't strangers to Senior High and can help continue what the Cowgills have started.
"Scott and Nancy are both retiring from teaching and coaching and are moving to Dallas to be closer to family," Kutlas said of The Independent's 2007-08 Girls Coaches of the Year. "Their kids are down that way. It was a family decision, and obviously one they had to make.
"It is disappointing though because of the wonderful job they did."
Taking over for the Cowgills as the girls head coach will be Jill (Tesmer) Bernal, and Brooke (Placke) Mierau will be the boys head coach. Bernal will also serve as the boys assistant coach, and Mierau will be the girls assistant.
"The good news is that we feel confident of Brooke and Jill and look for them to carry on the tradition that Islander tennis has," Kutlas said.
Both of the new coaches are Senior High graduates.
Bernal graduated in 1996 and earned five state tournament medals during her career. She was a member of the Islanders' 1995 Class A state championship team and won the state title in No. 2 singles in ’94.
She continued her career at Nebraska-Kearney, where she helped the Lopers make their first-ever appearance at the NCAA Division II regionals.
Bernal is also a familiar face in the city's coaching ranks. She led Grand Island Central Catholic to a Class B state title in 2001. In 2003, she began a three-year stint starting up the tennis program at Gretna.
Mierau is a 1999 GISH graduate. She was a multi-sport standout -- she led Class A basketball in scoring her senior year, holds the Islanders' records for 3-pointers in a game and a career, and won two state tennis medals during her career.
After playing basketball and volleyball at Peru State, Mierau coached basketball and volleyball at Harvard before becoming the volleyball coach at Elm Creek.
