CU Guru [1851]
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Jack to Auburn?
Sep 28, 2015, 8:18 PM
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Auburn Hot Board: Potential Targets
By D1 Baseball Staff -
Who does the Auburn baseball program turn to now?
The Tigers made some serious strides as a program last season, as then-coach Sunny Golloway guided the program to a 36-win season and its first NCAA tournament berth since 2010. However, the Tigers parted ways with Golloway this past weekend after he completed his second campaign with the program. Interestingly enough, the Tigers will enter the 2016 season with even higher expectations than just an NCAA regional berth, an intriguing situation a coach will inherit.
With Golloway gone and the drama surrounding that situation not likely to simmer anytime soon, a new coach will take over a program with plenty of potential, but also one with drama, and of course, instability.
Who is the right man for that job? That’s the all-important question as the fallout from Golloway’s dismissal continues. The Tigers already have had some intriguing, and surprising, candidates come to the forefront with interest. And while the Tigers might be inclined to be in a rush to hire a coach, it would be wise this go-round to take their time and find a perfect fit amongst some very suitable candidates.
Auburn’s national coaching search is still in its infant stages, but our staff provides a list, with analysis, of 10 coaches that athletic director Jay Jacobs should take a hard look at.
Mike Bell, Florida State: In a strange twist of fate, perhaps the Tigers will take a gander at FSU associate head coach, pitching coach and solid recruiter Mike Bell. Bell was actually at Oklahoma with coach Sunny Golloway for four seasons before deciding to join the FSU program in 2012. Bell is a very likable coach who has done a solid job of consistently putting the Seminoles in positions to win on the mound despite playing in an extremely hitter-friendly ballpark. Bell has a good reputation on the recruiting trail as well, along with fellow Seminoles assistant Mike Martin Jr., who also would be a good person for AU to call. Bell has worked for two outstanding programs and would bring a winning pedigree to the Plains.
Mark Calvi, South Alabama: Calvi would make a lot of sense if the Tigers are looking for someone with a history of competing and winning championships. Calvi helped South Carolina win its first national title, then guided South Alabama to a 43-20 overall record and NCAA tournament appearance in 2013, his second season with the Jaguars. Calvi guided the program to success this past season with a 37-win campaign. However, the Jaguars snubbed by the Division I Baseball Committee on NCAA tournament selection day. Calvi is another likable coach with a proven track record, and the Tigers would be smart to give him a solid shake.
Casey Dunn, Samford: Do the Tigers finally go to the Casey Dunn well? Dunn has been passed over by Auburn before, and he was a finalist for the Baylor vacancy this past summer with Steve Rodriguez, who ultimately got the post. However, Dunn is an Auburn grad (played 1996-1999) who would have a great deal of support around the program and athletic department. Dunn has spent the past 11 seasons with the Bulldogs, where he helped lead the program to the NCAA tournament in 2012. Samford finished the 2015 campaign with a 32-26 overall record, but one must wonder if the Bulldogs have been consistent enough for AU’s liking.
Scott Forbes, North Carolina: Forbes was a candidate for the Auburn job the last time it was open, and he figures to get another look this time around. UNC’s associate head coach has been ready to run his own program for years, but the right opportunity has not yet come along. Forbes’ track record will surely appeal to Jacobs; he was a major part of building six College World Series teams in the last 10 years, and he has produced an impressive group of big league alumni, including active big leaguers Matt Harvey, Adam Warren, Andrew Miller, Mike Morin and Rob Wooten.
Travis Jewett, Vanderbilt: Want someone with experience in many types of programs, which present different challenges? Jewett would be your guy in this situation. Jewett earned a sterling reputation in the Pacific Northwest while serving as an assistant coach at Washington State. He then went to Arizona State and spent three seasons in the desert as the associate head coach. Jewett just wrapped up his third season with the Commodores, where he’s consistently helped the program put together impressive offensive lineups. Jewett also is considered to be an elite recruiter, and is someone that wouldn’t have a problem selling Auburn’s vision with its vast resources.
Jack Leggett: The former Clemson head coach may be 61 years old, but he is a high-energy coach who still has plenty left in the tank. Mike Gillespie experienced great success at UC Irvine after getting forced out of Southern California, and there’s no reason to think Leggett couldn’t follow a similar late-career path. If Auburn is looking to install a man of high integrity who is respected by everyone in college baseball to guide the program through this tumultuous period, Leggett might get a strong look. And of course, his track record trumps that of any other coach on this list; he’s an ABCA Hall of Famer who led Clemson to 21 regionals and six Omaha trips in 22 years at the helm. He also has experience as the head coach at a high-profile program with a large fan base, something no other coach on this list can say.
Mervyl Melendez, Alabama State: Melendez built Bethune-Cookman into the dominant power in the MEAC, making 11 regionals in his 12 years as head coach. Then he left to take on a new challenge at Alabama State, a program that hadn’t even reached the 20-win plateau in a decade. Melendez has led the Hornets to 30-plus wins in each of the last three seasons, highlighted by a 37-win campaign in 2014. He’s a winner who knows how to recruit and develop, and he deserves a shot to run a major program in the near future. And now that he’s been at Alabama State for four years, he also knows the area well, which would be an asset on the recruiting trail.
Butch Thompson, Mississippi State: Thompson should be considered a front-runner for this opening. One of the most respected pitching coaches in the nation and the winner of the 2014 ABCA/Baseball America Assistant Coach of the Year award, Thompson is an innovative pitching mind who knows how to put his pitchers in the best position to succeed. He has a calm disposition that commands respect and loyalty, and his temperament is very well suited for a head coaching role. He also has been in the SEC for 14 years, with previous stints at Georgia—and Auburn. He’s an Alabama native with deep roots in the state and also has previous coaching experience at Birmingham-Southern, Jefferson (Ala.) State and Huntington (Ala.) College.
Jim Toman, Liberty: Here’s yet another coach with a proven track record of success, along with an impeccable personality and ethics. Toman is a former South Carolina assistant, like Calvi, and has spent the last eight seasons at Liberty. The Flames have reached the 40-win plateau on three occasions, while also making the NCAA tournament twice, two of the last three seasons. The Flames finished the 2015 campaign with a 33-23 overall record, which was considered a “down” year for the program. Toman’s success is very impressive, and he’s someone that would nail an interview.
Brian Shoop, UAB: Shoop isn’t a boisterous self-promoter, but he has quietly done his job very well for a long time, earning the respect of everyone in the region. He led Birmingham-Southern to considerable heights (including a 47-win season in 2004, when the program made its lone trip to the Division I postseason) before it dropped down to D-III and he left for UAB. He has led the Blazers to 30-plus wins in three of the last four years, including a trip to regionals in 2012. What Shoop has been able to do with modest resources during his coaching career is truly impressive. We’d love to see what he could do at a major program.
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