Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

When Jon Prottsman took over the Regina softball program, the Regals had appeared at the state tournament one time and had never played for a state title.

Over the past 11 seasons Prottsman turned Regina into one of the top Class 2A programs in the state.

On Sunday, Prottsman announced he was turning the rebuilt Regina softball program over to someone else.

Prottsman confirmed his resignation on Sunday after winning 258 games and leading Regina to six state tournament appearances and three state titles the final title coming last July.

“I always maintained that if I kept my passion for the game I wanted to stay involved because the kids are fun to work with as long as my health held up,” Prottsman said. “The passion is still here but my health is not holding up. I’m having back problems, I’ve had back problems in the past but they are resurfacing and getting worse and it’s hard for me to be mobile and I can’t do all the things I want to do in coaching. If I can’t do those things or I can’t coach the way I want to coach it’s time to get out.”

Prottsman directed Regina to the state tournament for the first time since 1983 in 2009.

Two years later he led Regina to the first of three state titles, winning the 2A crown in 2011.

Regina qualified for the state tournament five times in his final five seasons, reaching the 2A title game four times and winning championships in 2011, 2015 and 2017.

“When he took over Regina had been to state one time in 1983 and he came in and really built the program to where it is right now as one of the top 2A programs in the state,” Regina activities director Ryan O’Hern said. “He really turned the program into a consistent winner.”

Regina reached the 2A title game in each of Prottsman final three seasons despite losing 43 a combined 43 games in those seasons.

Two trademarks of Prottsman coached teams were a challenge schedule loaded with games against teams from larger classes and strong postseason play.

According to Prottsman those two things went hand in hand.

“The kids worked themselves to the point where they got the confidence that they knew they could do it,” Prottsman said. “They expected to win and that’s a lot of it, if you expect to win going in, if you expect to be successful in life even than you have a good shot at doing things well.

Regina was 29-13 when it won the 2011 state title and posted records of 26-14 and 30-11 during its title runs in 2015 and 2017.

Many of those losses came to Class 5A competition.

“The big thing is he went out and scheduled playing 5A teams and I think that has been one of the major keys to the success he had is the competition they played during the season,” O’Hern said. “He was not afraid to play the best teams in the state even if they got beat because seeing that kind of hitting and pitching prepares you for the state tournament.”

The final game for Prottsman was one of the most memorable of his career and in state tournament history.

Regina scored four runs in the bottom of the 14th inning to rally for a 5-4 win over Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in the 2A title game.

“I talk to people about that game and people ask how stressful was it or how did you handle it and I don’t think I was as nervous that game as I have been other games or even regional final games,” Prottsman said. “It was the last game you are going to win or you are going to lose and some little thing may happen that causes us to win or lose but I was pretty much relaxed during that game.”

Prottsman closes his 18-year coaching career with a 450-256 record and the three state titles.

O’Hern said he plans to meet with Regina players on Monday and hopes to have a coach hired before Christmas.

Regina was 30-11 last season.

“My goal is have a coach in place by Christmas,” O’Hern said. “We will advertise the job for three weeks and then interview in early December and my goal is to have a coach hired before Christmas break. We will see what happens.”