Edison hires Mandee Farish as head softball coach

Edison High School has turned to a familiar face to fill the head coaching vacancy for its softball program, bringing back former assistant Mandee Farish to take over that position.

Farish previously served as an assistant for the Chargers under Melissa Roth in 2019. Prior to that, Farish was the head coach at Marina for four years, where she guided the Vikings to playoff appearances in her final two seasons at the helm for her alma mater.

“Edison runs a great program over there,” Farish said. “The whole school, the [administration], it’s a great spot to be, and I really enjoyed my time over there when I was the assistant coach with Mel.

“I have always really loved being there and loved coaching, so I was just excited when I heard the spot was open again and applied for it, and just super thrilled that I got it.”

The Edison coaching job became available after Jeremy Barnes, who had headed the program for the past two seasons, accepted a promotion at work and was unable to devote the time he felt was necessary to be a head coach. Barnes expressed a desire to remain involved with the team moving forward.

Under Barnes, Edison went 17-11 overall, including 7-1 in a 2020 season interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. He said a source of pride during his time as head coach was helping the team navigate the pandemic.

“Those two years, I would have to say being there during COVID and going through [the] post-COVID [period],” Barnes said of what he was most proud of, “I didn’t want to be that coach and leave the girls hanging during a pandemic. I wanted to be there and help.”

While the Sunset Conference had not been divided into the Surf League and the Wave League at the end of Farish’s tenure at Marina, the challenge that the top half of the conference presents is a formidable one she knows all too well.

The Surf League comprises two teams that finished inside the top 10 of the CIF Southern Section Division 1 softball rankings in Huntington Beach (No. 2) and Los Alamitos (No. 9) last season. None of the four teams in the league finished the season with a losing record.

Farish said her early goals include creating a culture that stresses player development and a focus on the fundamentals of the game.

“In this tough league, we all know what teams are in here,” Farish said. “So I’m not going to say that we’re going to come out and win, but we’re going to come out and I can guarantee we’re going to put out the best product we can and compete.

“Long-term goals, I want to build this team so that we can one day win this league, be at the top of this league, and compete with the best of the best, which I know we can.”

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