TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Athletes choose the junior college route for a lot of reasons. Grades, they didn't get the offers they were looking for, or maybe they want another year to perfect their craft. When Bryan Henry graduated from Florida High in 2003, it was the latter that landed him at North Florida Community College. Now, he's the head baseball coach of Tallahassee Community College, a full circle moment for the new head coach.
"I wasn't ready to go play Division I baseball out of high school," he said of his decision to go JUCO out of high school. "That year for me was huge, the year that now looking, back, I'm glad I got to do it because now I have that experience coming in to TCC."
Experience that will come in handy in the Panhandle Conference, as three of the last seven national champions hail from the Panhandle.
"It is a great conference, and you better strap it on and you have to recruit," said former head coach Mike McLeod. "You have to get good players and you have to develop good people and good players and he's a great fit for it."
Coach Henry replaces McLeod after a 32-year Hall of Fame career.
"Mac has done a phenomenal job here," said Henry.
"I watched him in Babe Ruth and I watched him in high school," remembered McLeod of a young Henry. "I gave him lessons, and the guy still didn't sign with me!"
He's wearing the Eagle blue and gold now, and he's ready to keep this program running to the standard that's been set.
"That's our goal. We want to continue to develop them and get them better and hopefully get them to a D1 or pro ball even."
A goal for a coach that once had a JUCO dream, and now, gets to help others live theirs.
