Dan Beebe 2024

BUTLER TWP — Softball wasn’t always a passion for Dan Beebe, but once he was introduced to the sport, he was hooked.

He was a head coach for 10 seasons, most recently at Butler County Community College, where he led the Pioneers to three conference championships and two region titles in his four seasons of leading the program.

The wins undoubtedly add to the fond memories Beebe takes with him after stepping down from his position last week.

“It was definitely an emotional decision,” he said. “Coaching in college, I got the chance to deal with players more 1-on-1 and I loved it at BC3. But I can no longer put in the time needed for recruiting and all the other duties that go into running a program the way I feel needs to be done.”

But Beebe is not preparing for a spring off of the diamond. He will still be heavily involved.

“I’m a head coach in the rec league in Slippery Rock and help out with a travel team, Ohio Blast, that my niece, Adrian, is on,” said Beebe. “Last spring I tried to juggle everything and it was tough. It got to be too much to multi-task.”

Beebe said his assistant at BC3, Jim Jones, is more than capable of taking over BC3’s softball program.

“Dan had great success at BC3,” said Rob Snyder, BC3’s director of student life and athletics, in a released statement. “We appreciate the time and effort he put into coaching the Pioneers. We thank Dan and wish him the best in the future.

“We are evaluating the head coaching position and hope to have an announcement soon.”

Beebe played baseball and football at Moniteau High School before graduating in 1999. In 2007, his sister, Ashley Lominski, was a member of the first softball team at the school to win a District 9 title.

“I started going to the games that year and they had a really good team,” Beebe said. “Before the next season, I heard that (head coach) Dan Hindman needed some help and he added me to his staff. I missed being part of a team. I never had any intentions of being a head coach, but learning under Dan for three years gave me the knowledge to become one.”

When Hindman took the head coaching job at Butler prior to the 2011 season, Beebe took over at Moniteau. What ensued was a six-year run of unprecedented success for the Warriors. The team won four District 9 crowns and reached the state championship game in 2016. During Beebe’s six seasons as head coach, Moniteau went a combined 109-20.

“Just like at BC3, there were so many people who helped us reach that level of success at Moniteau,” said Beebe. “Players, coaches ... a lot of people contributed.”

Beebe moved on to BC3, first as an assistant to Roni Mall in 2017, then taking over as head coach the following year. The Pioneers’ 2020 and 2021 seasons were scrapped due to COVID. In each of the four seasons the team actually played under Beebe, he was named Western Pa. Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year.

Beebe hopes to fill some of his free time with, you guessed it, more softball.

“I’m a big University of Alabama softball fan,” said Beebe. “I’m thinking about heading down to Tuscaloosa to catch a weekend series this spring. Other than that, I’m looking forward to devoting more time to the teams I’m still involved with.

“If another opportunity to be a head coach comes up down the road, I’ll leave the light on.”