A successful return

Getting a chance to coach at one’s alma mater usually comes around once in a lifetime.
However, for Sacred Heart head baseball coach Cody Vidrine, that once in a lifetime has become twice in a lifetime.
The former Trojan pitching great left the “Halls of Troy” after a stellar prep career and took his talent to Holmes Community College in Mississippi and then on to Manatee Community College in Florida.
After an arm injury, Vidrine finished his education and was asked to take over the program in 1995 by his former high school coach Keith Menard.
“My first love was coaching,” said Vidrine. “So I was very lucky when Coach Keith, a guy that I respect a lot, gave me a chance to come back and coach here after college. Sports was always a big part of my life and it taught me so much.”
“When I decided to coach, I don’t think my dad was too happy about the decision, but I think it was the best move for me, because it gave me a whole different perspective about life,” Vidrine continued.
Under Vidrine’s guidance, the Sacred Heart baseball team reached the quarterfinals three of the four years that he was at the helm; a pretty successful start to a career for a first time coach.
“We had some good teams in those four years,” stated Vidrine. “One of those teams, I thought had a chance to win it all, but back then we did not have the power point system like they have today. The bracket just did not fall the way we wanted and we had to play a championship quality team in the third round.”
But as fate would have it, Vidrine found another calling that would change the direction of his profession.
Vidrine decided to give up the coaching world and join his dad in the retail business at Ace Hardware; a place that he has since taken over and has spent the last 16 years helping to build into a major success.
It wasn’t long before the coaching bug was once again biting at the young entrepreneur.
With his son, Phillip, coming up through the ranks of the Dixie Youth organization, Vidrine was drawn to prospect of donning the coaching cap once again.
Vidrine was fortunate enough to be with his son throughout his days in youth baseball and got the opportunity to continue coaching Phillip on the high school level.
“Sacred Heart was going through a transition where there was a turnover of baseball coaches,” commented Vidrine. “I was approached about taking over the team when Phillip was an eighth grader, but the timing was not right with the store.”
“The opportunity came about again in Phillip’s sophomore year and after talking with my wife and two kids about the situation, I decided to come back and give high school coaching another shot,” he continued.
Good timing for the Trojans. In the last three years, with Vidrine’s guidance, Sacred Heart has made the playoffs every year, including a trip to the state championship game in 2014.
But if you ask Vidrine what makes it possible for him to run a successful business and still have time to relish in his favorite passion, he will point to one important fact; a tremendous support system.
“I am fortunate enough that I have a great family and great parents and unbelievable employees to take the pressure off of me and allow me to continue coaching,” said Vidrine. “The way I look at it is that the good Lord knows that I am doing something that was very good for the school and the community. He has truly blessed me.”
“I can’t say enough about my family and employees. I never have to worry about having to come to practice or a game. I know that they have it under control,” continued Vidrine.
Vidrine also knows that he has another tremendous support system with his assistant coaches.
“We have great assistant coaches here,” stated Vidrine. “Brent Duplechin, Gary Ashworth and Josh Harper are all quality guys and really care about the players and the program.”
Vidrine is not naive enough to believe that the work ethic and grittiness his players exude are not the main reason why the baseball program has been on the elite level it has for the past three years.
“Our guys grind it out every day and have a desire to become better every time that they take the field,” commented Vidrine. “I know that I do not have to push these guys, because they push themselves and each other on a daily basis.”
As they say success breeds success.