North Forsyth is hoping a blast from the past can spark its softball program, announcing Jim Cahill as its new head coach.

Cahill has been the North baseball coach the past 14 seasons, but during that time he also served as head softball coach from 2002-07, during which his Lady Raiders teams went 132-79 with trips to the GHSA Softball Championships in Columbus in 2004 and 2005.

Cahill will inherit a talent-laden team, led by future Division I outfielders Bella Caracciolo (Morehead State) and Haley Simpson (South Carolina), eager for postseason success. North has reached the state playoffs six of the past seven years but advanced out of the first round just once (2011).

Cahill replaces Bud Henderson, who resigned after eight seasons.

North also announced the addition of Pilar Harden to Cahill’s coaching staff as associate head coach. Harden had a decorated career at the University of North Georgia, where she won 204 games, the most in college softball history, and still holds records for career hits, RBIs and home runs.