Mandi Munn's plate just got a little bit more full.
She's the athletic director at Red Bank High School and she's also the head softball coach. She can now add the title of head volleyball coach after being named to that position Tuesday afternoon.
"I'm excited and I'm honored to have this opportunity as I know what kind of tradition we have in volleyball at Red Bank," Munn expressed.
"I had the honor of playing for Susan Thurman and I got the chance to be her assistant for a few years.
And I got the chance to become really good friends with Christel Brooks while serving as her assistant.
"We lost three really good seniors, but we have an outstanding group of young ladies coming back. They're just a good group of girls and a lot of fun to be around. Right now, they're doing off-season conditioning work, but we'll go to a couple of camps this summer before we get started for real," Munn added.
Mandi graduated from Red Bank before going to UTC on a softball scholarship where she played for Karen and Ralph Weekly.
She graduated from UTC in 2000 with a degree in Secondary Education. In addition to her coaching responsibilities, she also teaches ninth-grade geography.
Her first two years as a coach were spent at Notre Dame before coming back to Red Bank, where she's been ever since.
Munn becomes only the third volleyball coach for the Lionettes, succeeding Thurman and Brooks.
"I'm as excited about Mandi getting the job as I was when they named Christel six years ago," said Thurman Tuesday afternoon.
"She will do an outstanding job and she's excited about the possibilities. Red Bank volleyball is a family affair. She has a great relationship with her players and their parents. She wears many hats and she wears them well.
"Mandi knows what it takes to get to the next level as she's done her homework. She's an outstanding choice for Red Bank," Thurman added.
Brooks offered similar feelings.
"It's awesome as she'll be a great head coach. She was a really good assistant and she's ready to jump right in there and get started," Brooks said.
"Leaving that job was a very difficult decision for me, but I feel really confident that we made the right choice as I'm sure the job will be in good hands. She knows what it takes to win. I was on the selection committee and we were looking for someone committed long-term. That was a big factor in the decision to offer her the job.
"She has a full plate as a wife, mother, teacher and coach, but I have no doubt that she'll do a great job," Brooks concluded.
(Email John Hunt at nomarathonmoose@comcast.net)