By Kyle LoJacono
Mary Jane Kranendonk has been named the volleyball coach for Land O’ Lakes High, according to Gators athletic director Karen Coss.
“We are very excited to have such a wonderfully enthusiastic and dedicated coach join our staff,” Coss said.
Kranendonk played volleyball at King High. She is currently a physical education teacher at Denham Oaks Elementary.
“I am very excited about coaching the Gators volleyball team,” Kranendonk said. “Go Gators.”
Kranendonk replaces Laurie Fitzpatrick, who took over the program in 2010. The Gators went 19-4 in 2010 in Fitzpatrick’s first season, eight wins better than the year before, and reached the Class 4A-District 8 semifinals.
Fitzpatrick also took over the Land O’ Lakes girls basketball program last season, where she guided the team to a 24-3 record, 20 wins better than the previous season, and to the first regional finals appearance in program history. She was replaced a few weeks ago by Phyllis Crain, who will join the school as a physical education teacher in the fall.
Coss said both coaching positions were advertised because Fitzpatrick was on staff at Hudson High, her alma mater. Kranendonk is also not on staff with the Gators, but she and her husband, Jim, are big supporters of all Land O’ Lakes’ athletics and their son, John, is a junior-to-be defensive lineman on the football team.
“A lot of the girls were upset and I was also,” Fitzpatrick said. “I knew I would not be hired back for both sports. I lot happened and I argued with administration about it. I’m applying at Hudson for a junior varsity volleyball job and varsity girls basketball. I didn’t apply at other schools because I might as well try and change Hudson’s programs.”
Hudson girls basketball went 1-20-1 in 2010.
–All stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches.
