Dan Beebe, right, was an assistant coach with Slippery Rock High School softball last season. He was named the head coach Monday night. Submitted photo

Dan Beebe thought he was done as a softball head coach at the high school or college level when he resigned from Butler County Community College in January 2024.

But a trip to Alabama, and more and more work as an assistant coach last season undid those plans.

Beebe was approved Monday night by Slippery Rock School Board as the high school’s varsity coach, marking his third head coaching gig at the high school or college level.

After what he thought was his retirement last year, Beebe, an Alabama softball fan, made a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., with his sister, Ashley Evans, and niece, Adrian Basham, to watch the Crimson Tide.

He brought his longtime coaching stool that’s been a good-luck charm and asked Bama coach Patrick Murphy to sign it. As the two talked, Murphy told Beebe: “Don’t retire. Patience, have patience. Don’t retire.”

Beebe then spent time assisting Slippery Rock’s varsity team under head coach Donna Lueken, who resigned after the 2024 season to spend more time with family, and the youth team his niece was on, going to around 120 games.

“I thought I was done (when I resigned from BC3),” he said Monday night. “Just like in life, you should outline your coaching career in pencil because plans change and opportunities arise.”

Beebe has less than two months to get to work with the Rockets; the PIAA preseason begins March 3 and the regular season starts March 14.

“Just finding a culture, starting a culture,” he said of what needs to be done right away. “Get an idea to see how the team does things here.”

Beebe coached BC3 from 2019 to 2023, although the 2020 and 2021 seasons were canceled due to COVID-19. He was named the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year all four seasons and led the Pioneers to three conference championships and two regional titles.

Before that, Beebe served as Moniteau’s head coach from 2011-16, going 109-20 with four District 9 championships. He led the Warriors to the PIAA Class 2A championship game in 2016, where they lost to District 2’s Holy Redeemer 9-3.

Beebe is a Moniteau graduate of 1999, where he played baseball and football. His sister, Ashley Evans, was on the 2007 Moniteau softball team that won its first District 9 title.