When Mark Burdett announced in April that he was seeking a full-time head coach for the Chesapeake Bayhawks he never imagined the solution was sitting in the office next door.
Burdett, the team president, initially offered the position to Dave Cottle and was rebuffed. At the time, Cottle was intent on semi-retirement and spending more of the year at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.
So Burdett moved forward with the coaching search while using Cottle as a sounding board.
“Time went by and Dave kept coming to the office so I continued to consult with him on various aspects of Bayhawks business,” Burdett said.