Coach Woodson Considered by Kent State

[valpotx]

I'd be happy with Schmack as well.  I haven't ever spoken to him, but I imagine that it is his work that has helped our pitchers keep a low ERA!  Pitching and defense wins championships

[LaPorteAveApostle]

I haven't ever spoken to him

i for one don't believe for a second that you've never talked schmack.

[valpotx]

Haha, +1 on that one 

[valpotx]

According to Spider fans, Woodson appears to be the choice at Richmond.  If he is going to accept, hopefully he does it ASAP, so that we can do a decent length search as well.

http://richmond.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1579&tid=165456426&mid=165456426&sid=1099&style=2

[Valpo2008]

According to Spider fans, Woodson appears to be the choice at Richmond.  If he is going to accept, hopefully he does it ASAP, so that we can do a decent length search as well. http://richmond.rivals.com/showmsg.asp?fid=1579&tid=165456426&mid=165456426&sid=1099&style=2

He gone....
http://thecollegianur.com/2013/07/17/richmond-hires-tracy-woodson-as-new-baseball-coach/35220/

[valpotx]

Luckily, I am not worried about our program without Woodson.  He and his staff put us in great position to hire a good head coach, and I would be fine with an internal fill of Schmack as well (if he is not taken to Richmond as well).  Having been to consecutive NCAA tourneys, and beating Florida, coaches from around the country will see that they can win at Valpo, stay a few years, and get a better job elsewhere.  I would much rather have that approach to coaches coming and going every 4-5 years, than to be a program where someone stays forever and doesn't win.

[LaPorteAveApostle]

internal fill of Schmack

I've had my...oh wait I already made that joke.

however I will have to add that as a lifelong Tiger fan I remember him getting schmacked around on the mound.

...but checking his career stats, they are better than I had thought (3.46 ERA for the historically awful 2003 Tigers team)

[valpotx]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/schmabr01.shtml

[LaPorteAveApostle]

Yeah, going 1-0 for a 40-122 team, or whatever we were, is actually kind of an achievement. (43-119, it turns out)

Also the afore-mentioned 3.46 ERA on a team with a 5.30 is pretty good too.  Too bad he never threw another big-league pitch outside of that month.

I say bring him on.  Or maybe Lasorda could get us Piazza.

Too late for Morandini to come back to V-town?

[Valpo2008]

Schmack will be fine.  Fortunately pro stats stay in the pros- good or bad. I do like what he has done with the pitchers here.  Glad to hear Woodson got the job he wanted. 

[jetz]

Not to be overlooked is the impact that Lisa Woodson had on the Valpo baseball program.  She acted as the teacher at the weekly "study table"--for players with less than a 3.0 GPA.  She also worked for various fundraisers in the offseason and during the year.  Recently, she spearheaded the fundraising for the Dominican Republic trip in November 2013.  She sent an email to all the players and families expressing her desire to see that trip through to its conclusion.  We have raised the majority of the money and bought airline tickets, so she has offered to continue fundraising to get the remainder that we need to see the trip become reality.  So we not only have to replace the head coach, but now at least two assistants, and hopefully a wife who is willing to do lots of behind the scenes work to help the Valpo program continue to be successful...

I called MLB a couple of days ago to express my support for Brian Schmack to become the head coach.  I don't know if he wants the job, but he did the majority of the practice coaching on a day to day basis, and the current players and families feel like he would be the most logical and best successor to the job.  He can recruit, he definitely can coach pitchers, so it's just a matter of his game management.  I would have to think he'll be plenty good at that when given the chance.  If Brian chooses to go somewhere else, we will be faced with the prospect of replacing the ENTIRE coaching staff in a month.  I'm hopeful that the wheels have been in motion for the last month or so in the coaching search, and that Brian will be the next Valpo skipper...

[valpotx]

So it sounds like Woodson will be taking coaches with him?

[jetz]

So it sounds like Woodson will be taking coaches with him?

It was announced before the end of the season that Jeramy St. Clair (volunteer assistant coach) was hanging it up at Valpo for more time with family.  Coach Adam Piotrowich (sp?) moved on to Western Michigan.  This was announced immediately after the Austin Peay game.  The only two left headed into this past week were Tracy Woodson and Brian Schmack.  We were going to have to find two new assistants for next year even before Tracy left, and in no way am I implying that Coach Schmack will follow Woodson to Richmond.  I have no idea what Brian will decide when and if he is offered the job.  Hoping for a quick announcement, but I really have no inside info...

[valpotx]

Finally, the announcement is made:

http://valpoathletics.com/baseball/news/2013-14/12805/woodson-steps-down-as-crusader-baseball-coach/

[valpotx]

The ESPN and Richmond announcements:

http://espn.go.com/college-sports/story/_/id/9499273/richmond-spiders-name-tracy-woodson-baseball-coach

http://www.richmondspiders.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=26800&ATCLID=208759162