Sarah Mednick/Roundupnews
John Bushart, former assistant baseball coach for the Brahmas, will be replacing head coach Joe Arnold.
Bushart is excited to take on the new job and considers it a great opportunity. He became head coach when Arnold left the team this summer due to personal issues.
“I love the game,” Bushart said. “I’ve been playing it since I was a kid.”
Bushart played for CSUN from 1990 to 1993 and graduated with a degree in kinesiology.
“It’s what you want to do,” Bushart said, “when you are around baseball that long.”
Bushart went on to play for the Anaheim Angels minor league team from 1993 to 1995.
He then started coaching at Kennedy High School. One of the players on the team was his cousin Jon Garland, who pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season. After Garland graduated, Bushart got a call from Bob Lofrano, Pierce College athletic director, to be an assistant coach.
“Bob Lofrano was the reason I came to Pierce,” Bushart said.
“None of the coaches here are full-time teachers,” Lofrano said. “They get paid to coach.”
All coaches have other jobs or careers on the side to make ends meat. Bushart is a part-time talent recruiting scout for the Milwaukee Brewers and teaches private pitching lessons on the side.
Pierce College offers 11 sports and coaches only work part time.
Coach Arnold played for Pierce as a baseball player from 1991 to 1992. He then went on to play at CSUN for another two years and eventually started assisting coaching for the Brahmas. He coached with Lofrano for 12 years and became head coach in 2008.
Arnold had been discussing his situation to Lofrano and Bushart for the past month. He made it official two weeks ago.
After hearing the news of Arnold’s departure, Lofrano made a call to Bushart.
“I knew at the end of summer,” Bushart said. “So when Bob called, I kind of knew what was going on.”
Bushart said it’s disappointing to see Arnold leave, adding he was a big part of the program and is the big reason why the program works today.
“Family comes first,” Lofrano said. “And now we can move on.”
Lofrano said Bushart is a hard worker who is always prepared on and off the field.
“He is real quiet, unassuming, and self-confident,” Lofrano said. “So, he will do just fine.”
—
smednick.roundupnews@gmail.com
John Bushart will take over as head coach for th ’09 season. (Gerard Walsh / Roudndup)
