When the San Marin softball team takes the field next spring, the Mustangs will have a new coach, a few new players and a 2012 North Coast Section championship trophy.What the Mustangs will not have is the smiling face of coach Randy Willis, who decided to step down after 16 outstanding years coaching at San Marin.His teams captured eight MCAL pennants, six NCS titles, the last of which came this past season when the top-seeded Mustangs beat No. 3 seed Bishop O’Dowd in the final.“It doesn’t get much sweeter than that,” said Willis, 65, who will be spending a lot of time in Arizona watching a lot of college softball (Arizona, Arizona State).


What he said he may not do is watch San Marin games next season. The veteran mentor doesn’t think it would be particularly fair to Liz Hartmann, the heir apparent to the head coaching job.“I wouldn’t want to upstage Liz in any way,” said Willis. “She will put her own mark on this team.”Hartmann played four seasons for Willis at San Marin, graduating in 2001, then was a star performer in college at Notre Dame. She returned to Novato after graduation and has been assisting Willis since 2006.“I may see some games, but I would definitely have mixed feelings watching San Marin next season,” said Willis, who finished his career with 303 victories and was honored as California mid-size high school coach of the year. “Maybe I’ll show up wearing a disguise.”Hartmann, 29, first met Willis when she was 12 and playing Little League baseball. He saw her at the batting cages and introduced himself and a friendship was born.“When I graduated from Notre Dame I had a chance to travel, but wanted to come home,” said Hartmann, All-Big East selection and team MVP as a junior.

She has been working for The Gap, and has allowed a flexible schedule so she could be at every game and most practices. She said she may seek work in Novato to make life a little easier.“Randy and I had such a good relationship, I think the transition will go well,” said Hartmann. “He was always open to suggestions from his players and coaches.”Knowing he was going to retire and that Hartmann was a likely successor, Willis gave his former player plenty of chances to grow as a coach.“He let me work with the pitchers, and it’s not easy for a head coach to give that up,” said Hartmann, an infielder/outfielder in her playing days. “Taking over for Randy will be a big challenge but he taught me well.”He also taught Dani Albini well, as the Mustang senior was honored as MCAL Player of the Year and also nominated for all-section and all-state awards.“He’s a great coach and he cares about winning, but he cares more about the girls and having fun,” said Albini, headed to UC Davis where she may try to make the team as a walk-on.She said while it was obvious what the players wanted to do in Willis’ final season, they avoided the subject as best they could.“We knew it was his last year and we wanted to send him out with a championship,” said Albini, a four-year starter at pitcher. “This was our last chance, and his, too.”The Mustangs last won an NCS title in 2007 so this team, outstanding over Albini’s four years, had never claimed a section championship.“Winning was a great feeling, a great experience and even better because it was his last game,” said Albini, who will play summer travel ball with the Easton Elite.Willis doesn’t have a favorite team or favorite player, although his first team in 1997 won a section title that shocked most experts.“We went 22-0 and beat Casa Grande in the finals,” said Willis, whose daughter Jennifer pitched for the Mustangs. “Nobody gave us a chance.”He said two players -- Stacy Russ and Bree Zunino -- came out of prep “retirement” to join the team.He said his final season was special for many reasons, not the least of which that he only had eight players at first with six girls playing basketball. But the Mustangs lost only once -- to Tam in nine innings, 4-1 -- and went 24-1.“We had no preseason and only had eight players at first,” said Willis. “I knew we had a lot of talent but had no idea how far we could go.”The 2012 Mustangs were led by seniors Albini, Bridget Pacchetti, Whitney Bynum, Gianna Bruschera and Angela Huidekoper but both Willis and Hartmann thinks the team -- pitcher Hayley Gadzik was only a freshman -- has plenty of potential to keep the tradition going, including four sophs who started this year.“Liz is a great replacement and really knows the program and its tradition,” said Willis. “This is more than just a softball team . . . it’s the Gary Gates Foundation, the players, the parents, the fans.”He gives Hartmann -- as well as coaches Dave Albini, Dave Bynum and Jim Mann -- a lot of credit for the team’s success.“Liz called our offensive signals and every pitch for Dani,” he said. “I wanted to give her the experience, and now she is ready to be head coach.”Willis, an avid golfer, claims he’s ready for retirement but nobody doubts his travels will find him camped out at some softball diamond, either in Arizona or at Gary Gates Memorial Field.“When I look back at those 16 years, I can honestly say we did it right,” said Willis, who will remain a member of the Gates Foundation. “The key for us was coaching each kid as an individual, and I think that worked out real well.”Hartmann is up to the challenge, noting that not seeing Willis on the field will take some adjustment but she’s anxious to move ahead.“Randy was ready and I am ready,” said Hartmann. “Big, big shoes to fill but I have faith in the program and how it was run, how it needs to be run.”And if she sees a mysterious stranger watching from beyond the outfield fence next season, she wouldn’t be surprised at all.Contact Bruce Meadows at Bmeadows4sports@aol.com.