How do you resurrect a softball program that has struggled for years?

Hire a Hall of Fame coach.

At least, that’s what McGill-Toolen is hoping it takes to turn its softball program in the right direction.

The Yellow Jackets announced last week they have hired longtime Baker coach Tony Scarbrough to lead their program.

“I’ve known Tony since I was coaching softball,” McGill-Toolen retiring athletic director Bill Griffin said. “He was somewhat of a legend even then. He always has mentored young coaches. He always was willing to help you no matter that team you coached. I have tremendous respect for him as a coach and a person. He heard we might have an opening and reached out. We are really fortunate to have such a legend be a part of our program.”

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According to Alabama High School Athletic Association records, Scarbrough is easily the state’s all-time leader in overall victories with 1,754. He is tied for second in state championships with seven – four in fast pitch, three in slow pitch.

He stepped down after two decades at Baker in 2022 and accepted the job as head coach at Foley. Though he said he loved that job, the drive from Mobile each day proved to be too much for him. He spent the 2024 season as an assistant coach at Cottage Hill.

“I was familiar with Bill (Griffin),” Scarbrough said. “His wife played for me many years ago. I just called down there to see what they were doing. He told me the coach had just stepped down. It turned out to be good timing.”

Scarbrough was inducted into the Alabama High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and was the NHSCA National Coach of the Year in 2007.

Turning around the McGill program might not be easy.

As successful as the Yellow Jackets have been in multiple girls sports, softball has not been one of them. The team was just 3-18 in 2024, hasn’t made the state tournament since 1997 and has never had an All-State player. (The Alabama Sports Writers Association began naming an All-State team in 2003).

“With the number of sports at the school and the number of club sports, everything gets thin, and people make choices about what sport they are going to play,” Griffin said. “I think Tony can get some folks out who are athletes at McGill but haven’t been playing for whatever reason. I think the recipe for success is getting athletes to play and having a good coach.”

Scarbrough knows he is facing a challenge at McGill.

“I’m not sure how successful I’ll be, but I want to give it a try,” he said. “I was in the gym the other day and I noticed all the banners for basketball and volleyball but didn’t see any for softball. I’m going to see if I can help them get one. It’s a great school. They have great academics. Hopefully, we can talk a few more girls into playing and go from there.”

Scarbrough said having some early success could be a long-range key for his new program.

“Hopefully, we can have a little success that first year and kind of wet the appetite for softball,” he said. “I just want to encourage some of the girls with athletic ability to come out and give it a shot. I’m going to offer them an opportunity to get better. Hopefully, we’ll get a few out and build from there.”

The schedule likely won’t be easy. McGill competes in Class 6A, Area 2 along with Spanish Fort, Baldwin County and Gulf Shores.

However, there is nothing else Scarbrough would rather do than coach softball.

“If I retire, I’ll just drive my wife crazy,” he said. “I have the best wife in the world. I want her to stay on my side.”