Feb. 25, 2011

The State of College Baseball - Part 5
By Sean Ryan and Phil Stanton
CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founders
 

In 2008, CollegeBaseballInsider.com conducted its first State of College Baseball. Back then, hot topics included new scholarship rules, the APR and an aging Rosenblatt Stadium.

Over the next few days, CBI will unveil the 2011 State of College Baseball. We surveyed 40 percent (121) of Division-I's 300 head coaches on a variety of topics concerning the game.

Today, CBI takes a look at the coaches' picks for best coaches and college baseball atmospheres...

Horton, Gilmore, LSU Among Coaches' Picks

By Sean Ryan

CollegeBaseballInsider.com Co-Founder

RICHMOND, Va. - Nine in 10 college baseball coaches believe the sport is better off than it was 10 years ago, and coaches George Horton and Gary Gilmore were chosen by their peers as among the best coaches in the country according to the CollegeBaseballInsider.com State of College Baseball. LSU's Alex Box Stadium was the landslide choice as the best atmosphere in college baseball.

In a survey of 40 percent of Division-I college baseball coaches, 108 of 121 (89 percent) coaches agreed that college baseball is better off than it was 10 years ago. That number is up 2 percent from CBI's first State of College Baseball in 2008.

The website entering its 10th year of covering Division I college baseball on a national level also asked coaches to name the best coach in the BCS conferences and the best coach in non-BCS conferences.

Among the BCS coaches, Oregon's Horton captured 14 votes (13 percent), with Clemson's Jack Leggett and Texas' Augie Garrido each garnering 13 votes (12 percent). Other coaches who received three or more votes from their peers included South Carolina's Ray Tanner (10), Florida State's Mike Martin (8), Vanderbilt's Tim Corbin (6), Virginia's Brian O'Connor (6), LSU's Paul Mainieri, Miami's Jim Morris, St. John's Ed Blankmeyer and UCLA's John Savage, each of whom received three votes. In all, coaches from 27 schools received votes; 16 coaches who took part in the rest of the State of College Baseball survey did not participate in this part of the survey.

In the non-BCS category, Coastal Carolina's Gilmore was the runaway choice attracting 28 votes (27 percent). TCU's Jim Schlossnagle picked up 12 votes (12 percent), and Rice's Wayne Graham earned nine votes (9 percent). Other coaches who received three or more votes from their peers included Oral Roberts' Rob Walton (8), Cal State Fullerton's Dave Serrano (5), UC Irvine's Mike Gillespie (4), San Diego's Rich Hill (4) and San Francisco's Nino Giarratano (3). Coaches from 34 schools received votes; 19 coaches who took part in the rest of the State of College Baseball survey did not participate in this part of the survey. In addition, Graham and Schlossnagle were chosen by two voters as the best coach in the BCS portion of the survey, and Gillespie and Serrano were named once - each of these coaches coach non-BCS schools.

CBI also asked the head coaches to name the best pitching coaches. Of the 94 coaches who submitted choices, Vanderbilt's Derek Johnson received 20 votes (21 percent). South Carolina's Jerry Meyers (6), Wichita State's Brent Kemnitz (5), Texas' Skip Johnson (4), Oregon's Andrew Checketts (4), Minnesota's Todd Oakes (3) and TCU's Randy Mazey received three or more votes. Serrano, the head coach at Cal State Fullerton who also serves as pitching coach, also received three votes. In all, pitching coaches from 43 schools (including one former pitching coach) were named.

In response to which college baseball stadium has the best atmosphere, LSU's Alex Box Stadium was the pick of 62 of 111 coaches (56 percent). Other favorite venues are found at Arkansas (6), Florida State (6), Mississippi State (6), Ole Miss (6), Texas A&M (5), Texas (4) and Auburn (3).

CollegeBaseballInsider.com State of College Baseball Survey Results - 121 Division I Coaches

(Editor's Note - for this portion of the survey, not every coach submitted an answer, which is noted below)

College baseball is better off than it was 10 years ago

*         Yes 108 (89 percent)

*         No 13 (11 percent)

The best head coach in the BCS conferences (ACC, Big East, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 10, SEC) is:

(105 coaches submitted choices)

*         George Horton (Oregon) 14 (13 percent)

*         Jack Leggett (Clemson) 13 (12 percent)

*         Augie Garrido (Texas) 13 (12 percent)

*         Ray Tanner (South Carolina) 10 (10 percent)

*         Mike Martin (Florida State) 8 (8 percent)

*         Tim Corbin (Vanderbilt) 6 (6 percent)

*         Brian O'Connor (Virginia) 6 (6 percent)

*         Paul Mainieri (LSU) 3 (3 percent)

*         Jim Morris (Miami) 3 (3 percent)

*         Ed Blankmeyer (St. John's) 3 (3 percent)

*         John Savage (UCLA) 3 (3 percent)

*         Coaches from 16 other schools received fewer than three votes apiece

The best head coach in the non-BCS conferences is:

(102 coaches submitted choices)

*         Gary Gilmore (Coastal Carolina) 28 (27 percent)

*         Jim Schlossnagle (TCU) 12 (12 percent)

*         Wayne Graham (Rice) 9 (9 percent)

*         Rob Walton (Oral Roberts) 8 (8 percent)

*         Dave Serrano (Cal State Fullerton) 5 (5 percent)

*         Mike Gillespie (UC Irvine) 4 (4 percent)

*         Rich Hill (San Diego) 4 (4 percent)

*         Nino Giarratano (San Francisco) 3 (3 percent)

*         Coaches from 26 other schools received fewer than three votes apiece

The best pitching coach in the country is:

(94 coaches submitted choices)

*         Derek Johnson (Vanderbilt) 20 (21 percent)

*         Jerry Meyers (South Carolina) 6 (6 percent)

*         Brent Kemnitz (Wichita State) 5

*         Skip Johnson (Texas) 4

*         Andrew Checketts (Oregon) 4

*         Dave Serrano (Cal State Fullerton) 3

*         Todd Oakes (Minnesota) 3

*         Randy Mazey (TCU) 3

*         Coaches from 43 other schools (including one former pitching coach) received fewer than three votes apiece

The best atmosphere in college baseball is at what school's stadium

(111 coaches submitted choices)

*         LSU 62 (56 percent)

*         Arkansas 6 (5 percent)

*         Florida State 6 (5 percent)

*         Mississippi State 6 (5 percent)

*         Ole Miss 6 (5 percent)

*         Texas A&M 5 (5 percent)

*         Texas 4 (4 percent)

*         Auburn 3 (3 percent)

*         10 other schools received fewer than three votes apiece