Crane honors retiring baseball head coach Bryan Harmon for 29 years of dedication and service
Coach Harmon pictured here with his wife Holly during his retirement ceremony.
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Pictured left to right, senior players Adam Murray, Wyatt Howard, Coach Harmon and Mason
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Crane honored Coach Harmon by retiring his number 0 during the night’s honors.
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Shana Harter
Crowds gathered last week to honor the man many say is the greatest coach in the history of Crane baseball. Coach Bryan Harmon was honored during Senior Night, and his jersey number 0 was retired.
Harmon, a Crane graduate, played for Coach Bob Conrad during his high school years. In the fall of 1993, Harmon began his 13-year stint as an assistant baseball coach working under Coach Conrad, who Harmon credits as one of his significant role models, next to his dad.
Harmon ends his coaching career with 397 wins as head coach and another 202 wins during his 13 years as an assistant coach under Coach Conrad.
Coach Harmon fell in love with the game of baseball at a young age. He told the Stone County Republican that he and his father went to many baseball games growing up. The elder Harmon taught his son strategy as they watched; Bryan fell in love with the game.
After his years as an assistant coach, Harmon coached another 16 years as Crane’s head coach. He shared with us his favorite part of coaching.
“It’s those kids who don’t know much about the game. They don’t know much, and you teach them, they struggle and continue to struggle and when they finally get it then you see it click. You see the excitement and what follows,” Harmon said.
“It’s that relationship that they have with you the rest of their lives because it’s something you helped them with. You know, baseball is more than just a game,” Harmon told us, “It’s the relationships you build.”
Harmon said he did not realize the number of lives his coaching had impacted until he announced his retirement last fall and his retirement ceremony last week.
“I got so many emails and texts, I saved many of them I didn’t realize how many lives were involved. I’ve coached fathers and their sons, its really good to feel that.”
Next fall, former player and current assistant coach Clay Stumpff will take over for Harmon. Stumpff’s tribute to Harmon was read at his retirement ceremony.
“Coach Harmon, from the time I was in your fourth-grade science class, I knew I wanted to be part of your baseball program. It was not your success that drew me to you, or your witness, or your hardnose coaching style, or your humongous calves; it was your love of the game of baseball. It’s why I knew I would love playing for you and eventually, way down the line, coaching beside you,” Stumpff said.
“The best compliment I ever heard any give you was by an umpire a year ago, he said, ‘If you ever want to see how a program is ran the right way, head down to Tootie Parsons in Crane and watch how Coach Harmon does it. He does it for all the kids and with class.’ Thank you for absolutely everything you have done for so many people, not only in the town of Crane, but the surrounding area. You have taught hundreds of kids how not to let the game use them, but how they should use the game as a vehicle not only to be good players but be good men and be successful in life. In my opinion, that is why you are one of the best coaches Southwest Missouri has ever seen and will likely ever see,” Stumpff added.
Former players, parents, and colleagues respect Coach Harmon for holding them to higher standards, both on and off the field. Players for Coach Harmon sign a contract promising to maintain grades higher than those required by MSHSAA. Crane has made the Academic All-State team for eleven consecutive years.
Harmon says he will miss the relationships the most, relationships with the kids, coaches across the state, umpires, and parents. “The number of people certainly outnumbers the number of wins,” he added.
Harmon says he will be active in the High School Baseball Coaches Association, and he doesn’t plan on missing any Crane games during his retirement. He says he plans to visit more national baseball parks (there are 17 he’s yet to see), spend time with his wife Holly, and enjoy being retired.
“I am so grateful for everybody in the area, everyone who showed up at the game, all the outreach I’ve had. Just anytime something goes well, I hear from people, and it just proves the relationships that have been built over the years. A big thank you to everyone, Harmon said.
Happy retirement, Coach Harmon, and thank you for being such a positive influence on the players and all the students of Crane High School.
Crowds gathered last week to honor the man many say is the greatest coach in the history of Crane baseball. Coach Bryan Harmon was honored during Senior Night, and his jersey number 0 was retired.
Harmon, a Crane graduate, played for Coach Bob Conrad during his high school years. In the fall of 1993, Harmon began his 13-year stint as an assistant baseball coach working under Coach Conrad, who Harmon credits as one of his significant role models, next to his dad.
Harmon ends his coaching career with 397 wins as head coach and another 202 wins during his 13 years as an assistant coach under Coach Conrad.
Coach Harmon fell in love with the game of baseball at a young age. He told the Stone County Republican that he and his father went to many baseball games growing up. The elder Harmon taught his son strategy as they watched; Bryan fell in love with the game.
After his years as an assistant coach, Harmon coached another 16 years as Crane’s head coach. He shared with us his favorite part of coaching.
“It’s those kids who don’t know much about the game. They don’t know much, and you teach them, they struggle and continue to struggle and when they finally get it then you see it click. You see the excitement and what follows,” Harmon said.
“It’s that relationship that they have with you the rest of their lives because it’s something you helped them with. You know, baseball is more than just a game,” Harmon told us, “It’s the relationships you build.”
Harmon said he did not realize the number of lives his coaching had impacted until he announced his retirement last fall and his retirement ceremony last week.
“I got so many emails and texts, I saved many of them I didn’t realize how many lives were involved. I’ve coached fathers and their sons, its really good to feel that.”
Next fall, former player and current assistant coach Clay Stumpff will take over for Harmon. Stumpff’s tribute to Harmon was read at his retirement ceremony.
“Coach Harmon, from the time I was in your fourth-grade science class, I knew I wanted to be part of your baseball program. It was not your success that drew me to you, or your witness, or your hardnose coaching style, or your humongous calves; it was your love of the game of baseball. It’s why I knew I would love playing for you and eventually, way down the line, coaching beside you,” Stumpff said.
“The best compliment I ever heard any give you was by an umpire a year ago, he said, ‘If you ever want to see how a program is ran the right way, head down to Tootie Parsons in Crane and watch how Coach Harmon does it. He does it for all the kids and with class.’ Thank you for absolutely everything you have done for so many people, not only in the town of Crane, but the surrounding area. You have taught hundreds of kids how not to let the game use them, but how they should use the game as a vehicle not only to be good players but be good men and be successful in life. In my opinion, that is why you are one of the best coaches Southwest Missouri has ever seen and will likely ever see,” Stumpff added.
Former players, parents, and colleagues respect Coach Harmon for holding them to higher standards, both on and off the field. Players for Coach Harmon sign a contract promising to maintain grades higher than those required by MSHSAA. Crane has made the Academic All-State team for eleven consecutive years.
Harmon says he will miss the relationships the most, relationships with the kids, coaches across the state, umpires, and parents. “The number of people certainly outnumbers the number of wins,” he added.
Harmon says he will be active in the High School Baseball Coaches Association, and he doesn’t plan on missing any Crane games during his retirement. He says he plans to visit more national baseball parks (there are 17 he’s yet to see), spend time with his wife Holly, and enjoy being retired.
“I am so grateful for everybody in the area, everyone who showed up at the game, all the outreach I’ve had. Just anytime something goes well, I hear from people, and it just proves the relationships that have been built over the years. A big thank you to everyone, Harmon said.
Happy retirement, Coach Harmon, and thank you for being such a positive influence on the players and all the students of Crane High School.