ESSEXVILLE, MI – Megan Cockrell didn’t exactly dive wholeheartedly into coaching. But it’s part of her heart and soul now. “When I first stepped into coaching, I didn’t know if I was going to like it,” she said. “But I’ve loved it ever since. Just being around the kids, and that moment when they finally get something and you see it on their face. “It changed my life for the better and I don’t know what I would do without it.” Cockrell has plenty of coaching in her future after being named varsity girls basketball coach at Essexville Garber. An assistant coach in the program for the past 12 years, she inherits the reins from her mentor, Kim Klein. Klein announced her retirement after going 11-14 this winter. Klein guided the Dukes to a 117-138 record over 12 seasons, highlighted by the 2019 Tri-Valley Conference championship campaign. Cockrell’s hiring is a passing of the torch. The 2008 Bay City Western graduate played for Klein with the Warriors and has been part of Klein’s staff since she made the move to Garber. Cockrell spent one season as seventh-grade coach before running the junior varsity team since 2014-15. “She’s kind of been interviewing for 12 years with her actions and efforts,” Garber athletic director Dave Schwartz said. “She’s a worker, in season and out of season. “She came in with a year-long plan on how she would like to run her program. She works extremely well with the other coaches here and she and the kids have a really good bond. They’re at their best with her and they trust her.” That’s a far cry from the apprehensions Cockrell came into her coaching career with a dozen years ago. “Garber felt like home,” she said. “I got great support from every person in every program. The administration is amazing and so is the community support. That was the biggest thing for me. It felt like I was in the right place.” Cockrell, who also spent time on the Garber coaching staff for softball, is prepared to run her own program for the first time. A 34-year-old project coordinator for Wade Trim, she said she’s eager to add her stamp to Garber girls hoops. “I want to see where I can help take these kids,” she said. “So many of them are playing in other successful programs in volleyball, softball and soccer and I want to show what we can do in basketball.” The Dukes have long been a competitive program under Klein. Playing in the challenging Tri-Valley Conference Red – with powerhouses like Frankenmuth and Freeland – guarantees some ups and downs. But Garber has often been lauded for its feisty play, and Cockrell wants that to continue. “We’ll be an up-tempo team. We’ve done it for years, so that’s kind of who we are,” she said. “The kids love the up-tempo style and it’s a fun environment to be around.” Cockrell becomes the 11th head coach in Garber girls basketball history. If you would like your local high school sports news delivered free to your inbox daily, click here and sign up for one of our local high school sports newsletters. Love reading about local sports? Don’t miss any of the excitement from the season ahead. Purchase your subscription now and get full access to every story on MLive!