Frangella Ready to Run Oak Lawn Softball Program

For eight years, Brian Frangella served as an apprentice. Now, he is taking charge of the Oak Lawn Community High School softball program.

Frangella recently was named the Spartans' new head coach. He has some big shoes to fill, following in the footsteps of two close friends and former colleagues, Pat Mayer and Kelly Herlihy.

Mayer, an Illinois Coaches’ Association Hall of Famer, directed the Spartans’ softball program for 20 years. Herlihy handled the head coaching duties for the last two seasons.

“I have had the great fortune of learning so much about the game of softball under two respected coaches,” Frangella said in a news release. “I always felt comfortable asking questions and watching how things were done. I have come a long way in eight years, but I still call Coach Mayer with questions about situations and take advice from (his) years of experience.”

Frangella started in the Oak Lawn softball program as an assistant sophomore coach in 2004. Later, he became the head sophomore coach and then served as a varsity assistant under Herlihy.

“Now it’s time for me to run the program,” Frangella said. “I feel ready to keep moving in the right direction and develop this young talent we have here. I’m looking forward to working with the girls and getting better.”