The Ellet baseball and softball teams appear to be in good hands with first-year head coaches who are alumni, wore Ellet uniforms and are invested in their respective programs.
Coach Scott Swan is a familiar face in Ellet baseball after serving as an assistant coach to Bruce Moore and John Sarver .
Sarver, 70, retired as Ellet coach with an overall record of 627-392 in 43 seasons. He spent the past 24 seasons leading Ellet to a 379-247 record.
"John Sarver and Bruce Moore are both in the Greater Akron Baseball Hall of Fame," Swan said. "I am replacing two true legends."
Coach Sara Albaugh was a spectator last year cheering on the Ellet softball team and her daughter, Sisi Albaugh, who is now a junior. The elder Albaugh coached several of Ellet's current players on youth teams.
Chuck Shuman , 75, retired Ellet coach with a record of 690-272 in 38 seasons. He led the 1996 Ellet softball team to a Division I state championship, the 1995 team to a state runner-up finish and the 1997 team to a state semifinal appearance.
"I am following a legend in Chuck Shuman," Albaugh said. "I played for that legend in the '90s."
Get to know Ellet baseball coach Scott Swan
Swan inherited an Ellet baseball team with one returning starter. He played baseball and football and graduated from Ellet in 1984. He played right field and second base on City Series championship teams as a junior and senior, and coached Springfield to two Division II sectional titles.
"In the last 50 years, there have been two baseball coaches at Ellet: Bruce Moore and John Sarver," Swan said. "... I was an assistant coach at Ellet for 12 years, I was the head coach at Springfield for seven years and then I was back at Ellet as an assistant coach for seven years. I have been an assistant coach for 19 years. My first year that I helped out was Bruce Moore's last year and then I was on John Sarver's staff for 18 years."
Swan was also an assistant baseball coach at Manchester for two seasons and Firestone for one season. He also was an assistant football coach for two seasons at Firestone and for four seasons at Ellet, and was an assistant basketball coach for one season apiece at Coventry and Ellet.
In his 34th year as a teacher in Akron Public Schools, Swan is in his third year as a physical education teacher at Hatton Elementary School after teaching at Hyre MS for 11 years, Litchfield MS for 19 years and Buchtel HS for one year.
"It was always a dream of mine to be the head coach at Ellet," Swan said. "I know the history and I want to continue that success that they have always had. Obviously, we graduated a lot of seniors so there is a lot of turnover, but I want to keep the program strong and continue what Sarver did over the years as far as teaching the fundamentals, playing the game the right way and respecting the game. I have school pride. I bleed orange."
Sarver got his start as a baseball head coach at Kenmore for one season in 1980. He then guided Archbishop Hoban for five seasons from 1981-1985, spent two season at Buchtel in 1986 and 1987 and returned to the Hoban dugout for 11 seasons from 1988-1998.
Sarver's Hoban baseball teams won four district championships, one regional title and finished as Division II state runner-up in 1993. His Ellet teams won 18 City Series regular-season championships, 15 league postseason titles and two Division I sectional titles.
Get to know Ellet softball coach Sara Albaugh
Albaugh inherits an Ellet softball team with seven returning starters. She played softball and graduated from Ellet in 1997.
"I played for Chuck," she Albaugh said. "I was on the [Division I] state championship team [as a junior outfielder-infielder in 1996 and on four City Series championship teams].
"... This is a great program. There were things to add on to it like winter workouts and things like that. I think the girls appreciated it because they got more time in the weight room, extra swings in the batting cage and just the small things that helped even the new girls that have never played before. I have already seen such a big change in them with their strength, their speed and agility. Everything across the board has increased for everyone. We are pretty excited about that."
In her 21st year teaching, Albaugh teaches freshman algebra 1 and honors geometry at Ellet High School after previously teaching at Tallmadge Middle School, St. Matthew Parish School, Litchfield Middle School, Kenmore High School, Roswell-Kent Middle School and Perkins Middle School.
"It is exciting to see where I came from and wanting them to surpass me," Albaugh said. "My goal is to everyday get better, everyday have another goal and everyday work at something new. How can we jell together? It is always about positivity, working hard and making sure you are going the distance if you want to get to the next level. That is why I am here as a coach. That is what our staff is here to do.
"... We have a really great group of girls that really get along and support each other."
Albaugh, in her seventh year as Ellet's cheerleading coach, previously coached the Kenmore volleyball team.
Shuman’s teams won 33 City Series regular-season championships, 31 league postseason crowns, 23 sectional titles, nine district crowns and three regional titles. Ellet went 337-16 against City Series teams during his tenure.
Longtime Ellet coaches Chuck Shuman and John Sarver retire to spend more time with family
Shuman and Sarver are enjoying more time with family members.
Shuman and his wife, Janet, are in their 56th year of marriage and have two children, Kevin and Carrie, and three granddaughters: Amanda, Samantha and Sydnie Wolf. Carrie graduated from Ellet in 1986, Kevin in 1990, Amanda in 2015, Samantha in 2017 and Sydnie in 2019.
"It was a treasure and it was a privilege to be able to coach my daughter and then my three granddaughters," Shuman said. "That is a highlight for me, personally."
Ellet's 1996 state championship softball team featured sisters Tiffany McCoy and Tracee McCoy, Jill Hillyer, Kristen Breen, Jamie Hicks, Heather Morton, Monica Kinsey, Rachel Kostra and Jody Tobias.
"I am very thankful to have worked with so many good players and coaches," Shuman said. "Bill Lehman was with me as a coach for all but two years. He started with me in 1987. Missy Jarvis was our pitching coach on the state championship team. She was a great pitcher for us, graduated in 1990 and pitched at Butler University. ... Kellie Smith and Jim Noall were also longtime assistants on my staff."
Sarver and his wife, Janis, are in their 43rd year of marriage and have two daughters, Julianne and Kristin, two son-in-laws Mark Leffler and Brian Rummer, and five grandchildren: Leah, Drew, Logan, Kate and Lauren.
"I really loved having practices," Sarver said. "I loved indoor practices where I would write out what we were going to do that day, who was going to pitch off the portable mound in the gym, who was going to throw a bullpen that day and how we were going to hit in practice, what drills were we going to work on with hitting and fielding. I think I am going to miss that more than even writing out a lineup before a game."
Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.com and is on Twitter at @MBeavenABJ .
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: 'Following a legend': Scott Swan, Sara Albaugh are Ellet's new baseball, softball coaches
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