COSBY — Kaylan Cole is self-aware enough to know that she can be a lot to handle.
She summarized it as such during a recent interview, encapsulating her competitive, aggressive on-field approach with those same three words: “I’m a lot.”
With that in mind, Cole came into her new role as the Cosby softball coach with a clear goal — to find the “ice,” or the contrast, to the fire she brings on a daily basis.
After exploring options for her assistant coaching roles, Cole found that ice in two parts: Darion France and Briana Knight.
Each one had a different path to the Cosby dugout, but together, they help Cole form a combination that makes her excited to get started this spring.
‘A no-brainer’
For France, his appointment to the Cosby softball staff adds to an an already stacked schedule since he also serves as an assistant coach for Cocke County football.
He came to know Cole through lessons that Cole has given to his daughter, Harper, for two years.
“I’ve always joked with her to start a travel team,” said France.
He got his wish recently, as he and Cole coached an 8U Smoky Mountain All-Star softball team to the state tournament.
In the process, he saw more of the kind of coach Cole will be for the Lady Eagles.
“She motivates the girls really well,” he said. “I believe in everything she is doing. I have seen it firsthand, not just with my daughter but with other kids. And not just softball, but motivating them to speak up for themselves, and that’s something I can get behind. It was a no-brainer.”
In his role, France will be working with the Lady Eagles’ hitters, something that Cole has seen already through the past couple of years.
“We’ve been doing hitting together for two years now,” said Cole. “I don’t just give lessons — I instruct parents too. I want to teach them, because I don’t go home with them. We connected on a different level, because he would say, ‘That makes sense.’ He understands my concepts: extension, power load, coil.”
But to accentuate those pieces, Cole’s team will need plenty of effective strength and conditioning.
That is where France comes in, as he will be the first ever strength and conditioning coach for one female-specific sport at Cosby High School.
“Which is huge,” Cole said. “I just want my kids to be faster and stay healthy, which is a huge thing.
“I had a strength and conditioning coach in high school, and I went from 90 pounds to 120. And it made a huge difference in my career. Iknow the impact it can make for individual players. We’ve already talked about this a little bit, but my goal was to make women’s sports as important as male sports.”
Cole also emphasized that she wants to ensure her players will not be shocked by the presence of weights should they have an opportunity to play at the next level, which is why having them at the high school level will help.
“They’ll probably hate me for it at first,” she said with a laugh, “but long term, I think they will appreciate it. Because it is an extra level of commitment, and to win games, you have to be strong and fast.”
‘A diamond’
As far as Knight is concerned, her addition to the staff happened more by happenstance rather than occurring through a previous connection.
And oddly enough, Knight’s friendship with Cole started with the development of Newport’s new adult slow-pitch softball league.
“I had heard of her before and was like, ‘Oh, is so awesome, this former player is giving back in a great way,’” said Knight of Cole. “I was actually trying to start my own slow pitch team but didn’t have enough players, so then I joined hers.”
They wound up in the outfield together, where Cole learned about Knight’s extensive softball background.
Prior to moving to Cocke County, Knight was a first-team All-District, second-team All-Area second baseman for Mountlake Terrace High School, a Class 4A program located 15 minutes north of Seattle, Washington.
During that time, Knight played on some of the top travel ball teams in Washington State and earned team co-captain, MTHS Female Athlete of the Year and the Gatorade Will to Win award while also racking up a Wendy’s High School Heisman nominee.
After that, Knight played four years at East Tennessee State — where she was a four-year starter on defense and earned team offensive MVP and co-captain one year.
Following graduation, Knight served as Mountlake Terrace’s head softball coach for two seasons.
Her team won the 3A district title and became a state tournament participant in her second season, showcasing the kind of coaching that Knight offers to Cole’s Cosby team.
“Fire,” Cole quipped to summarize Knight’s background. “And I didn’t know of her until she called me. So I love that nobody knows where I found her. It was a huge win for us. We found a diamond.”
Knight’s question about helping Cole was similarly quiet, as they first talked about it in the middle of a slow-pitch game.
“Kind of in the middle of one, she was like, ‘Hey, do you want to be an assistant coach?’,” said Knight. “It was a fun, spur of the moment thing. It has been a fun surprise, the way things have unfolded.”
Now, Cole is plenty excited about what Knight brings to the table, offering expertise in a number of areas.
“With Briana, she brings a level of depth to the game that a lot of people don’t have,” said Cole. “She can instruct slapping and my outfield and infield.
“So when you have someone that can instruct and knows every aspect of the game, I was looking for someone like that. She can take the kids to the next level.”
‘A different perspective’
Aside from those aspects, Cole said Knight will bring a different approach to her players from a personality standpoint, with the same being said for France.
Altogether, that is exactly what Cole wanted: a diverse mix that covers every base, literally and figuratively since Knight will coach first and help with fielding, Cole will coach third and call pitches, and France will cover hitting charts and ignite passion in the dugout.
Because as Cole has established, she can be “a lot” — but now she has assistants to provide the yin to her yang, and vice versa.
“High school is different,” summarized Cole of the contrast in her lessons and her new job. “They know me and know of me, so I wanted someone that had the opposite personality of me and then wanted a male coach too. I think that dynamic is something you need.
“And I think they take my coaching to a different level, because we bring very different things — all three of us.”
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