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Penn thrilled to take over NHS baseball program
By Jason Peake
Daily Mail Sports Editor
When Danny Penn was a standout baseball player for the Nevada Tigers, he never imagined he'd one day be coaching his alma mater.
"I didn't see that in my future," Penn said. "It was never in my mind. I didn't even think of teaching when I was in high school."
But now, as fate would have it, one of the school's most accomplished players is the new man in charge of the baseball program.
A 2003 graduate of NHS, Penn is the new head varsity baseball coach, taking over after Marty Atnip resigned. Penn's hire was approved by the R-5 school board earlier this month.
"It was kind of unexpected," Penn said. "Everything happened pretty quickly. I was kind of shocked. But I'm very excited."
In fact, Penn said he can't wait for next spring.
"I'm looking forward to it already," he said. "I'm really excited. We've got a lot guys back... seven starters. I'm excited to get going and I'm excited to win some ballgames."
Penn added the transition should be a smooth one. He was an assistant on the varsity team this spring under Atnip.
"I hope it's an easy transition," Penn said. "Yeah, it will be my first head coaching job, but I feel I have a good relationship with all the players now. And Coach (Kyle) Talley and I have a good working relationship, too."
Talley will assist with the varsity and handle the JV team. (The school is still looking for a freshman baseball coach.)
In his one season as head coach, Atnip guided the Tigers to a school-record 16 wins. He resigned due to family reasons. Atnip has accepted a position in Columbus, Kan.
Penn said he and Talley have already talked about how high the expectations will be for the baseball team next spring.
"That 16 win mark, that's going to be a goal again," Penn said. "We're returning seven starters, but we're losing Bubba (Banes) and Cory (Kerbs). So we'll need some additional pitching to step up."
The NHS baseball program has had a lot of turnover in the last several years, with a new coach nearly every year.
Penn said he wants to build the program, put his own stamp on it, and stay for the long haul.
"I'm proud to be in Nevada," Penn said. "And this job is not a stepping stone for me. I want to be here for a long time. And I hope to provide some stability to the program."
Penn, who teaches history at the middle school and is the son of Timothy and Becky Penn of Nevada, definitely put a stamp on the program when he was a prep athlete.
During his time at NHS, Penn was a baseball standout for Coach Tyson Beshore. Penn was a varsity starter from 2000-03.
Penn was an all-conference performer as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was an all-conference pitcher three times and was a Missouri Baseball Coaches Association All-State selection in three-straight years.
As a senior, Penn was a second team all-stater, listed on the Associated Press' All-State Team, and was also recognized by the Missouri Baseball Coaches Association on the All-Classes All-Star team. The 2003 team won a district title.
Penn holds numerous school records. As far as single season records, Penn had a .529 batting average in '02, wins in a season (7), and innings pitched (62.3). All are still standing. Penn has numerous school records for a career, too. They are: at-bats (270), runs (89), hits (108), RBIs (80), walks (52), stolen bases (37), pitching wins (17), innings pitched (160), and strikeouts (174).
On the mound, Penn had 18 complete games in his career, with 14 shutouts.
Penn went to Central Missouri to play baseball, but he tore his rotator cuff, ending his playing days. "That was it," he said. He graduated with a degree in psychology. Penn then went to Pittsburg State for history education. Danny is married to Jenisa, whom he met while she was attending Cottey College.
Penn has had a memorable year overall. This was his first year teaching in Nevada, and he was also a NHS Wall of Fame inductee this past winter. Penn will be assisting the NHS softball team this fall, too.
But of course, he'll be the new man in charge of the baseball program, coming full circle from his playing days.
"I'm ready to get going," Penn said. "I wouldn't want to be anywhere else."
Clarification: The print edition of this story listed Ryan Talley, but Kyle is the JV coach. Sorry for the mix-up.