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CARROLLTON - After 40 years of service for Carrollton Community High School, Greg Pohlman is officially retiring from his posts as the athletics director and physical education teacher.
“I’ve been teaching almost 40 years now and it’s time that you got to look to do something else,” Pohlman said. “The whole world is changing and I’m a little older now and it’s time for somebody to come in.”
It’s not that Pohlman has found his line of work boring or too hard, but rather it's time for a new face and time to move on.
“I’ve never lost the love for it or anything, it’s just time to get out,” Pohlman said.
Cole Brannan who was a spectacular athlete for the Carrollton Hawks, finished the season with a 7-1 record as a pitcher batted over 400. He said he enjoyed playing baseball under Pohlman and participating for Carrollton in all sports in general.
“I’ve been blessed to be part of this program from sixth grade on up and glad I was able to be apart of it,” Cole Brannan said.
Kolten Bottom, who finished the season with an 8-2 record and has a bright future ahead of him, has been one of many Hawks to be developed by Pohlman from grade school to high school.
“He’s been great. He really develops his players well,” Kolten Bottom said. “He makes them into great players and coaches good teams. I love him as a coach and he’s been great through all these years coaching us.”
Carrollton finished their 2016 campaign with a record of 27-6 and the 27 wins are the second most victories in a season in Hawks history.
The record is 31 wins when they won state in 2011 and it is Pohlman’s greatest coaching achievement.
His record as a coach is 536-292-3 during a span of 29 seasons, but it may or may not go on, as he is unsure at the moment if he will continue as the Hawks baseball coach.
“As a coach I’ve been blessed,” Pohlman said. “It’s never easy to retire because you always think the next team is up and coming.”
He’s also had stints coaching football and wrestling.
From an overall athletics point of view, he has been the athletics director of arguably one of the best IHSA Class 1A schools, especially this decade.
Carrollton has earned several conference championships, participated in long playoff runs, and state finals appearances from football to volleyball to boys and girls basketball, softball, and baseball.
In fact as the school year concludes, Carrollton football made it to the state quarterfinals, boy’s basketball won a second straight regional championship, and so did the baseball team under Pohlman’s guidance.
“Our programs are still awesome right now.” We have a lot of hardworking coaches and that’s what makes a big difference in our programs compared to a lot of other programs.”
Carrollton expects to be competitive for all sports, in particular baseball as the Hawks graduated three seniors and return almost all of their key players.
As for the girls for volleyball, basketball, and softball, most of the athletes will be back and hungry for better success.
To Pohlman that’s a testament to the kids in the community’s love for competing.
“We try to keep the kids interested. Carrollton kids love to play the game. They love to win and love to work hard at it and that’s what makes it exciting.”
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