Tim Couch has been hired as the high school softball coach at Silverdale Baptist Adcademy. He will succeed Chip Liner, who retired at the end of last season.

Couch, who coached Silverdale's middle school softball team in 2008, said hard work, discipline and the desire to compete are the elements he will stress. His daughter, Katelyn, will be a junior on the team next season.

"Probably 80 percent of the girls that are going to be on the team this year I have coached," Couch said. "We want to raise Christlike ladies first, but we also want to compete."

Couch has also coached summer softball, but much of his coaching experience has been as an assistant in football. A quarterback at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga from 1983 to '86, Couch worked seven years in two coaching stints at Ooltewah and also spent two years each as an assistant at East Hamilton and now-closed David Brainerd. He will serve as offensive coordinator for new Seahawks football coach Al Rogers and handle the duties of high school athletic director at Silverdale.

Couch and Liner were at David Brainerd at the same time. Couch said he considers his predecessor a great mentor.

"Tim is a disciplinarian," Liner said. "He'll make the girls accountable. He'll do a good job, just from the fact that he knows how to coach."

Silverdale graduated three off last year's team, which reached the Region 3-A semifinals.

In addition to returning the bulk of the lineup, next year's Lady Seahawks team will have pitching depth. Katie Henderson, Lauren Hill and Michaela Harrison are all expected to get time in the circle.

"The middle school team went undefeated, so that's encouraging," Couch said. "The future looks really good."