BELLAIRE — Second chances in life do not come around all of the time.

J.R. Battista is well aware of that.

Thus when Ben Doyle submitted his resignation as the Bellaire High School basketball coach after two seasons, Battista didn’t hesitate to apply for the job that he held for six seasons before his contract wasn’t renewed following the 2017 season.

“I applied because I missed it,” Battista said. “I missed everything about (coaching) from the competition to the camaraderie and just being around a team.”

Battista interviewed last Friday and was recommended for and hired as the new coach at the Bellaire Board of Education meeting earlier this week.

“It feels good to be back,” Battista said. “I am thankful that (Principal) Derrick McAfee, (Athletics Director) Mike Sherwood, (Superintendent) Darren Jenkins and the board thought enough of me to allow me another chance. I am excited to get started.”

Despite being away from coaching for two seasons, Battista has hit the ground running since his formal hiring, which came via 4-1 vote. He held an open gym on Thursday, meets with his players today, scheduled his basketball camp for June, entered the Big Reds in the Wheeling Summer League and Wheeling Rec. Shootout.

“It doesn’t even feel like I left,” Battista said.

In one aspect, Battista is finding himself having to play catch up and that’s where the month of June and the summer schedule will be critical. Battista, since he’s been out of coaching, hasn’t watched Bellaire play in the last two years.

“This summer is going to be important for all of us,” Battista said. “We’ll use this summer to evaluate and figure out who can and can’t play. We’ll also have to evaluate some of the teams we’ll be playing.”

During his first tenure, Battista’s best season came in 2016 when the Big Reds finished 14-9 and qualified for its only OVAC Tournament berth.

“We will do many of the same things we’ve done for many years even since my uncle (Gene Ammirante) was the head coach, but we’ll do some things differently off the court,” Battista pointed out. “We’re going to do our absolute best to make the school and community proud.”

Battista hasn’t been totally away from basketball during his two-year absence. He’s watched and studied plenty of hoops.

He attended numerous practices and offered support and insight at Wheeling Park to head coach Michael Jebbia and Ammirante, who serves as the Patriots chief assistant after an OVAC and Ohio Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame career with Bellaire.

“I’ve definitely kept busy,” Battista said.

On top of that, Battista experienced basketball for the first time from the bleachers. He attended numerous Brooke High School games where his daughter, Jeana, is a sophomore cheerleader.

Actually, Jeana was one of the main people to encourage Battista to re-apply for the Big Reds’ job.

“I asked her if she’d be mad if I coached again and she said absolutely not,” Battista said.

Battista has confirmed that Nate Regel, who was the chief assistant under Battista and Doyle, will remain on the staff. Other staff positions haven’t been finalized.