By BUTCH HARMON
As they grew up, they played little league baseball together, played on the same high school team, and then played together collegiately, so it should be no surprise that Cory Maguire and Jared Cowan are now coaching high school baseball together.
Graduates of Davison High School, where they played for legendary coach Timm Rye, Maguire and Cowan played their college baseball at Grand Valley State University. The duo are now coaching at Grand Rapids Christian High School, which has one of the premier high school baseball programs in West Michigan and in the state.
Maguire is the head coach of the Eagles, who won the Division 2 state championship last spring for a second consecutive year, while Cowan is his assistant coach.
The two began playing baseball together before they were teenagers. “I first met Jared when I was 10,” Maguire said. “My Elba All-Star team needed another player for a tournament, so we brought up Jared to play with us. We are two years apart. We played two years together at Davison and two years together at Grand Valley.”
Cowan remembers his friend even farther back. “I have known Cory back to the early days of ‘Coach Pitch,’ probably age seven or eight,” Cowan said. “My first time playing with him was when I was about nine or 10 maybe. I was brought up to play with his team for a tournament (as he is 2 years older than me) and can still remember being in awe of his ability to hit home runs with ease. After that occurrence one summer, the next time we began our time playing together was when I was a freshman and him a junior on the Davison varsity team. We played together again the next year, and then before I knew it he was giving me a tour of the GVSU campus as a recruit. After choosing to attend GVSU, we played another two years together, just like at Davison.”
Maguire and Cowan have always shared the same goal of eventually being a coach. “I have known ever since I was in high school I would want to get involved in coaching one day,” Cowan said. “I grew up with my dad being the driving force in my life as a father and coach. He sacrificed so much for me and a group of guys that I grew up playing football, baseball, or wrestling with. Looking back, two years out of college, full time job, and a coach for only four months out of the year, I cannot believe what a sacrifice he made for me. I also was truly blessed with the high school coaches that helped shape my career, as well. Both on and off the field, they played a big part in all the success I had after high school through baseball, academics, and life in general. Experiencing the benefits of what an impact a great coach can have in my life only fueled the flame for me. I love investing my time and energy into molding kids into better human beings through athletics.
As does his long-time teammate. “For love of the game,” Maguire said. “It’s such a unique sport with an amazing history. The smell of the fresh cut grass and being outside breathing in fresh air, it’s good for the soul. Also, the opportunity to pass on my experiences with the game and help shape young adults lives.”
Both Maguire and Cowan draw a lot from Rye, who coached them during their high school careers. “Coach Rye did play a big part in my roots of baseball,” Maguire said. “I attended his “T-N-T” Summer Camp ever since I can remember. He coached my brother, and I attended those games, and obviously, he also coached me my entire high school career.”
“Coach Rye was a wonderful individual to play for,” Cowan said. “I learned a lot about the game of baseball from him. I took his positivity and approach to the game with me to GVSU. Coach Rye really cares about all of his players, more than just how many hits they average per game, and I really appreciated that about him. I usually see him a time or two every year when I am back in town. I really try and catch a Davison baseball game every spring.”
After being part of two state championships as an assistant coach, Maguire is now forging his head coaching career with his own goals. “With two state championships under my belt as an assistant coach, the obvious answer is to win one as a head coach,” Maguire said. “But I put that second behind teaching these young adults valuable life lessons. Winning is great, but baseball is a game of overcoming adversity and making adjustments on the fly. I truly feel that baseball has helped me prepare better for life obstacles, and I hope to instill that in my players.”
Cowan also believes in accomplishing more than stacking up wins. “My goals are to first really impact the lives of my players in a very positive way that prepares them for both the opportunities they will have as well as the hardships that will ensue in life,’ Cowan said. “I strive to push our players to play relaxed and confident, at the same time with a slight chip on their shoulder. I try and remind them that baseball is only a game, and they need to enjoy their opportunity to play it while they can. To the best of my ability, I try, and will continue to try, to use the sport of baseball to teach student-athletes how to outwork their opponents, battle through adversity, and simply leave it all on the field. These concepts translate very well into life after athletics, and my ultimate goal as a coach is to prepare them for that; and winning baseball games along the way.”