Long-time softball coach Bill Finucane will not be back in the Cardinals’ dugout this season, as he will resign his role and let assistant coach Jan Kushner take over the program.
The decision marks the end of a decade of Finucane-led success, including a 2022 state title, a handful of state medals and seven regional titles.
“The memories that I have, and there’s a bunch of them, I’ll cherish for the rest of my life,” Finucane said.
Finucane was on the fence when he was first considering the job in 2014. But after talking to his wife, he decided to give it a shot. He said if he was going to do it, he was going to give it his all.
At first, he wondered what he had gotten himself into as Eudora played some of the top teams in the state. But after a few years of building the program, he had transformed the Cardinals into a feared opponent.
He said coaching is more than just a three-month gig, and he hopes he is remembered as a coach who led teams to represent the program, school and community well.
“I tried to make sure that everything that we did built to the success of that program,” he said. “We gave it our all and did the best that we could, not only on the field, but also in trying to teach those kids, you know, lessons in life that you don’t win every game.”
Athletic Director Cara Kimberlin said Finucane had made the program one of the most reputable in the state. She said he has taken the softball program to another level previously unseen.
Finucane said it was tough to decide whether to leave, but he knew it would come in the next few seasons, and he decided this year was the best fit.
One of his first questions when he began discussing stepping down was whether the team could hire its next head coach from within. That’s exactly what Kimberlin did, selecting long-time assistant Kushner to lead the team. Kushner coached alongside Finucane for his entire tenure at Eudora.
Kimberlin said it was an easy choice to elevate Kushner to the top job.
“It’s a good, easy transition for kids and the program,” she said. “Jan is invested and embedded in the community, which I love.”
Kushner played college softball at Emporia State before starting her coaching journey. She coached at the college and high school level for around a decade before joining the Cardinals staff in 2015.
“I’m really excited that, you know, I’ve got to be a part of this program for so long,” she said. “And the Eudora community is amazing. The people, the administration, everyone in the schools, it’s really a dream. And so being able to continue on with his foundation and legacy, and continuing to build on to this softball program that we’ve had, and its successes, is just really exciting and something that I really look forward to.”
She said she would focus on each team as a unique unit that needed its own style of coaching.
Kushner said it was bittersweet to know Finucane was leaving the head coaching role, but she was excited to take over the program. She said she has learned countless lessons from Finucane and was excited to carry on his legacy as head coach.
“He’s just a great human being on and off the field,” she said. “He’s such a positive person and has such a positive outlook on life, and really teaching these girls that, yes, we’re playing the game of softball, but it’s also bigger than softball, and it’s life, and there’s a lot of lessons that you can carry over from what we do on the softball field every day to your life, not only now, but in years to come.”
Finucane said Kushner has long been the secret to the Cardinals’ success and that would continue with her as head coach.
“Jan taking over, I think that leaves the program in a very good spot,” Finucane said. “Jan was a fantastic assistant coach and did a lot more behind the scenes than what people realize. And I have said this many times: The program wouldn’t have been near as successful as it has been without her being there.”
Reach reporter Cuyler Dunn at [email protected]
