North Dakota State Head Baseball Coach Mitch McLeod Announces Resignation
5/22/2007 5:00:00 AM | Baseball
FARGO, N.D.--North Dakota State University head baseball coach Mitch McLeod today announced his resignation effective June 30 this year.
McLeod is completing his 15th season at North Dakota State. He began in 1993 and is NDSU's all-time wins leader with a record of 345 wins, 320 losses and 4 ties entering this week's Division I independent tournament at Utah Valley State.
The father of three boys ages 14, 12 and 8, McLeod cited personal and family reasons for his resignation.
"I'm not spending enough time with my family," McLeod said. "It's the nature of college baseball in the north. We are on the road for many weeks and there is not enough quality time at home."
McLeod, who has a doctorate in curriculum and instruction, said he plans to continue teaching at NDSU in the Department of Health, Nutrition and Exercise Science, where he has been a lecturer for 18 years.
"I still have a lot of admiration for the university and the athletic program," McLeod said. "I still love the game of baseball, and I am really going to miss the players. You have a special bond with these guys, but hopefully they understand the situation I am in."
North Dakota State athletic director Gene Taylor said a national search for McLeod's successor will begin immediately. No time table has been set for hiring.
"I respect tremendously his reasons for making this decision," Taylor said. "We appreciate all that Mitch has done for our program, particularly during this challenging Division I transition.
"His teams have been very competitive against some of the best programs in the country. We wish him a lot of luck in his future."
McLeod is the first coach in NDSU baseball history to have multiple 20-win seasons. His clubs recorded 10 of the school's 11 seasons of 20 or more wins, including seven straight from 1994 to 2000.
His 1996 squad (37-11) was the first in school history to reach 30 wins, and the Bison reached that plateau twice more with a 32-14 record in 2000 and a 31-22 mark in 2004.
McLeod was named the North Dakota Associated Press Sportswriters and Sportscasters Association College Division Coach of the Year in 1996 when he guided the Bison to a school-record 37 wins, a North Central Conference Northern Division title, a second-place finish in the league playoffs, and a No. 29 national ranking in the season's final Collegiate Baseball Magazine Division II poll.
NDSU won the North Central Conference regular season title in 2000 under McLeod, and he directed the 2004 team to the school's first NCC baseball championship since 1973.
McLeod has coached 20 players who have moved on to play professional independent or minor league baseball, including three Major League Baseball draft picks and one free-agent signee. Pitcher Mike Gunderson was drafted by the Houston Astros in 1994, catcher Tony Richards was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998, and relief pitcher Neil Wagner went to the Cleveland Indians in 2005.
Wagner is a pitcher for the Lake County Captains (A) in the Indians organization, and former NDSU shortstop Jeremiah Piepkorn is with the Chattanooga Lookouts (AA) in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
|
The McLeod Years | |||
|
Season |
Team |
Record |
Notes |
|
1993 |
North Dakota State |
18-19 |
|
|
1994 |
North Dakota State |
25-19 |
|
|
1995 |
North Dakota State |
23-19-3 |
|
|
1996 |
North Dakota State |
37-11 |
NCC Northern Division champions |
|
1997 |
North Dakota State |
24-17 |
|
|
1998 |
North Dakota State |
26-15 |
|
|
1999 |
North Dakota State |
21-26 |
|
|
2000 |
North Dakota State |
32-14 |
NCC regular season champions |
|
2001 |
North Dakota State |
18-14 |
|
|
2002 |
North Dakota State |
26-13 |
|
|
2003 |
North Dakota State |
28-18 |
|
|
2004 |
North Dakota State |
31-22 |
NCC champions |
|
2005 |
North Dakota State |
10-43-1 |
|
|
2006 |
North Dakota State |
12-41 |
|
|
2007 |
North Dakota State |
14-29 |
|
|
15th season |
345-320-4 |
||
