Cloquet has softball coach

Following the resignation of long-time head softball coach Ron Tondryk and assistant coach Kerry Rodd, a familiar face will lead the Lumberjacks in the spring.

Cloquet School Board members voted earlier this month to hire Andrew Miller, who had been serving as junior varsity coach for the past two years, as head softball coach for the Cloquet girls softball program. Miller is also an assistant boys basketball coach.

Activities director Paul Riess recommended the board hire Miller, who submitted several recommendation letters, including one from Tondryk, who said Miller has been a great fit for the team with similar ideals, goals and values as himself along with excellent organizational skills.

“He has excellent rapport with the girls and I saw the respect the girls gave him,” Tondryk wrote. “As an example, when one of our players was going through a difficult time, she wanted to discuss the matter not with me, but with Andrew.”

The former head coach said he thought Miller would make the transition between coaching staffs a seamless one.

Miller will lead a team that took third place in the Class AA state softball tournament in June.