Post Classifieds
Softball community reflects on memories of coach
By Tom Gallagher
On April 15, 2012
Cortland softball coach Julie Renhart has been coaching against Buffalo State softball teams for a long
time.
But her most recent visit to Bengal Field on Saturday wasn't what she had grown accustomed to
experiencing throughout her career while coaching against the Bengals. This time, something was
different.
Longtime Bengals coach Sandy Hollander, who passed away last Monday, wasn't in the opposing coach's
box. It was the first time Renhart hadn't seen Hollander across the field since she began coaching at
Cortland 18 years ago. The two had been friends for the better part of 20 years.
"It's going to take a while to get over the loss of Sandy," Renhart said following her team's two-game
sweep of Buffalo State on Saturday. "Every time you step on that field, she's supposed to be there."
Alumni softball players were invited onto the field before Saturday's games with the current team to
participate in a sentimental moment of silence on Hollander's behalf. Current players locked hands and
raised them toward the sky in an emotional tribute to their coach.
Moments later, Hollander's 10-year-old son, Alex, threw out the game's ceremonial opening pitch in
what Renhart described as a fitting celebration of Sandy's life.
"That's something he'll never forget. To have him be a part of that, it's a special day to remember his
mom," Renhart said. "You have to remember the good. It was a celebration of everything she's done. It
was a celebration of her life and what she gave to everyone."
Evidenced by the overwhelming turnout from many of her former players at the weekend's games,
Hollander was a positive influence for many people in the SUNYAC Conference.
"Every coach in the SUNYAC would consider Sandy a close friend," Renhart said. "Sandy never quit. No
lead was enough; she found ways to come back and get you. There was a competitive edge to her and it
rubbed off on her players. The game was never over until it was over.
"Sandy was Buff State. She had so much pride in the program."
The impact that Hollander had on her players is a lasting one. Former Bengals pitcher and third baseman
Deanna Hunt played under Hollander from 1993-1996. Returning to the field gave her a moment to
reflect on Hollander as a person.
"(Hollander) was a determined person," Hunt said. "She was highly intelligent. She persevered and she
just always wanted you to work your hardest. She knew that if you worked your hardest, you would do
your best."
One of Hunt's fondest memories of her former coach came during her junior year. After spraining her
ankle en route to being the final out in a 1-0 loss to a Renhart-coached Cortland team, Hunt was told by
Hollander that she would pitch the next game.
Hunt's ankle was being evaluated by the team trainers, who subsequently wrapped it. Thereafter, she
discovered that she couldn't turn left, and though she could pitch, wouldn't be able to run the bases.
"Coach came over to me and I said 'Coach, I'm good to pitch, but I'm not going to be able to run the
bases,'" Hunt recalled. "Coach said, in her classic one-liner way, 'Well, I guess you're just going to have
to hit it out of the park,' then turned and walked away.
"First inning of the game, sure enough, my first at-bat, I hit a home run to right field. I'm gingerly jogging
around the bases and when I get to third for my normal high five, she says to me, 'You know, if you had
done that in the first game, you wouldn't be hurt!' and she just kind of laughed."
For certain former players, it was difficult returning to the field under such tragic circumstances. Marissa
Mariano, a catcher under Hollander from 2008-09, noted that coming back to Bengal Field is never easy
and was especially tough under these circumstances.
"To not see her standing at third base is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," Mariano said. "I
know that she's here and I know that she's watching this game and every bad call that the ump is going
to make, she's going to yell at him.
"As sad as it is, everybody feels that she's here, and it's pretty incredible."
Mariano proceeded to glowingly explain her favorite memory of Hollander and made note of her ability
to stay true to her word.
"Coach is a big fan of Barry White and we used to have (a song) on our warm-up board," Mariano
said. "She told us my senior year that if we won SUNYACs she would dance to the song on the bus on the
way home.
"We won, we put the song on, and she danced for the full four minutes of the song. It was incredible."
Buffalo State didn't just lose a coach and administrator in Hollander. It lost a mentor and a role model.
And for many, including former players and opposing coaches like Renhart, they lost a dear friend.
"Her student-athletes are going to remember her forever and they are definitely going to be better
people from it," Renhart said.
Tom Gallagher can be reached by email at gallagher.record@live.com.
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