Norma Nelson went without a softball coaching job for more than a month in the spring of 2013.
She almost went crazy.
The veteran coach had been unceremoniously fired as coach at Ooltewah High School and spent time soul-searching about her next move professionally.
“I didn’t want to retire from Tennessee because I didn’t have my 30 years in,” Nelson said Thursday night. “I was wondering, ‘What am I going to do?’ ”
Nelson, well-acquainted with anyone in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia even remotely connected to softball, started calling on those contacts right away.
Nelson knew that East Hamilton softball coach Cara Stiles had stepped down after deciding to take an 11-month sabbatical.
So, that was there.
She searched elsewhere for teaching vacancies that corresponded to her specialty, physical education and wellness, and called on long-time friends for possible landing spots.
Nelson talked with Tobin Davidson, the Sale Creek principal about possibly helping veteran Clifford Kirk with the Lady Panthers. She spoke with old friend Steve McClure, her buddy from when both were at Ooltewah Middle School.
She spent time on the internet looking for openings.
“I’m very fortunate that I know a lot of people,” Nelson said. “And I knew I wanted to keep coaching.”
Nelson e-mailed East Hamilton athletic director Brad Jackson a couple times about the opening there.
A few days later, Nelson e-mailed East Hamilton principal Gail Chuy and expressed an interest to continue her illustrious coaching career with the Lady Hurricanes.
“She called me back and we set up an interview,” Nelson said. “It was very informal. Gail hired me, but she didn’t have a teaching vacancy, so I stayed at Ooltewah for the 2013-14 school year and coached at East Hamilton.”
The coming together of Nelson and East Hamilton’s athletic department has worked out well for both parties.
On Tuesday, East Hamilton beat Central, 13-8.
“After the game I said to my girls, ‘Hey, guys, tomorrow I’ll be going for my 700th win.’ ”
The Lady Hurricanes fell behind the Lady Pioneers 2-0 after one inning, but rallied for two runs in the fourth and a game-winner in the fifth on Savannah Daniel’s clutch single for a 3-2 win and Nelson quietly could celebrate her 700th win.
Chuy, who was at the school’s dedication of its new baseball field on Wednesday, wasn’t aware of the significance of Wednesday’s softball victory.
“I had no idea,” Chuy said, “or we would have done something special for Norma.”
Nelson was not keen on taking away from the baseball team’s big moment. After all, coach Steve Garland’s Hurricanes were into their sixth year without ever having played a true home game.
“It was their moment,” Nelson said of the baseballers.
Nelson will have “her moment,” perhaps at the Lady Hurricanes’ next home game, Chuy said.
The personable Nelson has brought exposure to the East Hamilton program, but equally important is she’s providing something Chuy desperately sought.
“Stability,” Chuy said. “We’ve had several coaches in several years. We needed stability. Cara was young and went with another opportunity. It’s different at a school still trying to build a program as opposed to one that’s already established. We started from scratch.
“When we had a chance to hire Norma, who has a wealth of knowledge and experience, I thought that was great because I felt we could depend on Norma to be around for a while. She wasn’t a person who would jump up and take off after a year or so.”
There has been a stick-around quality to Nelson over the years, for sure. She never strayed far from her roots.
Nelson attended East Ridge High School and for three years played softball. She went to Cleveland State and continued her softball career. She then transferred to Tennessee-Chattanooga and became the manager for the basketball team.
“Hardley anyone had college softball back then,” Nelson said.
Fresh out of college, Nelson spent 20 days substitute teaching at East Ridge Middle School and moved to Ooltewah High School in January 1989, subbing the rest of that school year for “a lady on maternity leave.”
Nelson helped coach Jim Lovell with the Lady Owls’ softball team that spring, and the four following years. In 1994, Nelson took the reins and ran with them, spending the next 20 years as the head coach.
Nelson led the Lady Owls to three state tournament runner-up finishes in 1994, 1995 and 1997 – those coming in her first four years guiding the program.
The Lady Owls captured the Class AAA championship in 2008 when the Lady Owls went 46-3.
Ooltewah also claimed titles in 1990 and 1992.
“The 2008 season was very special,” Nelson said. “Holly Thomas was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Tennessee and she went on to play at Tennessee Tech. I’ve been blessed over the years to have some very good players. You can’t win without talented players.”
Nelson posted 11 30-win seasons and the big one eight years ago.
In two seasons at East Hamilton, Nelson has won 27 of 37 games and last year beat rival Soddy-Daisy twice in three meetings with the perennial state title contending Lady Trojans.
“One of my teams hadn’t beat Soddy-Daisy in 20 years or more,” Nelson said. “In 2008, the year we won state, they beat us at their place. And I tell you, beating Ooltewah last year was pretty hard on me.”
From 2007-09, Ooltewah went 124-19. In her first six seasons with the Lady Owls, Nelson’s teams posted a combined 191-44 record. Success came quick for Nelson and she’s been able to sustain it over the years, but not form a lack of hard work and sacrifice, especially from her players.
After being such an established brand at Ooltewah, Nelson has found a second home at East Hamilton and she’s hopeful of adding to an outstanding 700-234 career mark.
And Chuy can’t wait to learn what’s ahead.
“Many other coaches applied for our job,” she said, “but many of them were very young. Our decision came down to Norma and it was based on maturity and experience. Had we known about her going for 700 wins Wednesday, we would have been there to do something to honor her.
“I’m just glad we know about it now.”
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @larryfleming44)