Two weeks after the University of Hawaii at Hilo had its soccer director resign, the school received another resignation, this time from Peejay Brun, coach of the softball team, the most successful program in the athletic department in 2015-16.
Brun’s team was 63-33-1 two seasons with the Vulcans, producing back-to-back 30-win seasons an all-American in sophomore Bailey Gaspar. She told UHH athletics director Pat Guillen on Monday that she had accepted an associate head coach offer from Division I Texas State University, where she had been an assistant before accepting the Hawaii Hilo opening.
The title is key.
“These days people are looking more and more at those associate titles when they hire head coaches,” Brun said. “We had a lot of discussions and I decided this was the best thing for, basically, family reasons.”
But it wasn’t easy.
“The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do was make those phone calls (to the players),” Brun said Tuesday from Kyle, Texas, in a telephone interview. It was very emotional for me talking to those kids. I’ve left places before and it’s never easy, but this was far and away the most difficult decision I’ve ever made in my career.”
Brun said the decision came down to the logistics of negotiating a reasonable family life in a long distance relationship. Her wife Christie is a mental health director at a facility in San Marcos, where Texas State is located.
“It wasn’t money,” Brun said, “at the end of the day, this is softball, nobody’s getting rich, it isn’t like basketball where millions are being spent. In this sport, you do it because you love the game and you want to contribute to the lives of young people.”
Brun said while spending time in her Texas home the last couple of weeks, she was invited to dinner by Texas State coach Ricci Woodard and in the process of conversation, the associate job was offered. Brun said she was offered a coach-in-waiting opportunity, though Woodard has been at the school for 16 years.
“That wasn’t something that came up,” Brun said.
Guillen released a statement on the departure, saying, “I have very mixed emotions with Coach Brun’s departure. On one hand, I am happy for her and her family who she will be reunited with in Texas and also for this professional opportunity to move back to the NCAA I level. But selfishly, Vulcan Athletics is losing a top-notch coach who is a great mentor, educator and leader for our softball student-athletes.
“I am grateful to Coach Brun for her tireless work ethic and commitment to building a solid program that our community is proud of, Guillen said in the statement. “Our loss is certainly Texas State’s gain.”
Guillen, who has had 28.5 percent of his seven-member team sports coaches resign this month, may find more than the usual amount of interest in the coaching vacancy because the Vulcans made major steps forward in the last two seasons and the roster is stocked with capable and experienced returning talent, such as Gaspar.
“That’s one thing that makes me feel good about leaving,” Brun said. “As hard as it was to talk to those kids, whoever comes in will have some players ready to compete and be a team.
“I’m biased, but I love that program and I love these players,” she said. “They trusted me, they jumped on board and we became a real family, a real family. I know I’m going to miss it.”
Brun’s contract runs through the end of the month. She plans to be back in Hilo this weekend to close things up at school and prepare for the move.
