Perry Hall Softball Coach Brian Radcliffe Retires After 21 Years

Brian Radcliffe, who has coached Perry Hall's varsity softball team for the past 21 years, has decided this past season will be his last with the team. The Gators finished 12-4 this season, and reached its sectional final in the MPSSAA 4A North bracket.

"I have worked with wonderful people. The athletes have been great people that have played softball," Radcliffe said. "The ladies have been hard workers that have put the team in front of personal goals."

Radcliffe leaves with a winning percentage of .697 and a final record of 276-120. The Gators have won five MPSSAA 4A north regional titles during his tenure, and Radcliffe has coached 138 different players over his 21 years.

A lot of Radcliffe's success can be traced back to consistently having a strong system in place for the Gators. He always had a vision of how he wanted Perry Hall to play. That, combined with having excellent assistants, as well as JV coaches, has helped Radcliffe maintain Perry Hall as one of Baltimore County's consistent powers on the softball diamond.

"We've had a system and we've stayed true to that system over the years," Radcliffe said. "Play flawless defense, keep crooked numbers off the board, and move runners along on offense. We may not have had the best softball players, but we have won games over the years by just plain out working other teams."

When asked about his favorite memories, Radcliffe says he can recall one with each player who has played for him. In terms of an individual game though, the regional final Perry Hall won against Dulaney in 1999 stands out. In that game, the Gators loaded the bases twice with zero outs, but worked their way out of the jams. Perry Hall eventually won 5-3 in 10 innings.

While there will be many memories from the diamond which Radcliffe will enjoy, what he's going to treasure most is how much his players were positively impacted in all facets of life by playing softball at Perry Hall.

"I have respected and cared about the players as people and always treated them fairly. I know that they have received and learned many life lessons while playing for the Lady Gator Softball Program," Radcliffe said. "The ladies, coaches and I have been successful at the Hall."