BAKER — For the past five years, Kathy Combest’s Hall-of-Fame coaching acumen resided in Crestview.
Her heart, however, never left Baker.
Earlier this week, Combest opted to return to Gator country, bringing with her more than 700 wins, 19 district titles, eight final fours and 24 playoff appearances to helm the girls basketball and volleyball programs.
“I’m not quite honest how the conversation started, but she expressed interest in coming back and we’re just so pleased to have her leading both programs,” Baker Principal Mike Martello said. “As evidenced by her hard work, she’s hit the ground running with a parents meeting to discuss the summer activities.”
Combest, who’s known for her fieriness on the sidelines, last coached Baker volleyball in 2007 and the Gators girls basketball program in 2009.
Had she not returned, her legacy was firmly cemented in Baker lore. Through 22 years at the volleyball helm, Combest compiled 517 wins, 12 district championships, seven final-four trips and 13 playoff appearances.
On the hardwood, she departed with a 175-115 mark, seven district titles, a final-four trip and 11 playoff appearances in 13 seasons at the helm.
She took that decorated résumé to Crestview in 2011, where she first took over the volleyball program and then, a year later, spread her talents to the girls basketball team.
She immediately led the volleyball team back to the playoffs in 2013, breaking a nine-year Bulldogs drought. A year later, she lifted the basketball program into the elite eight for the first time since 1991. The Bulldogs’ first district title since 2003 followed the season after, cementing her treasured legacy in Crestview as well.
She now takes over a volleyball program that’s won 13 straight district crowns and has made the playoffs every year since 1993.
Baker’s basketball program, meanwhile, hasn’t won a playoff game since Combest left, and is four years removed from a regional appearance.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview coach returns to Gator Country