Mitch Gaspard

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Mitch Gaspard

Mitch Gaspard (born May 26, 1965 in Port Arthur, Texas) is the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide baseball team.

Playing career

An all-state shortstop at Jefferson High School in Port Arthur, Texas, Gaspard led his team to the Texas state title as a senior and then became the starting second baseman in 1985 for the first Skip Bertman-coached LSU Tigers baseball team to advance to NCAA Regional play. He played his final two collegiate seasons as a starter at second for the University of Houston, where he became an assistant coach in 1988.

Coaching career

Gaspard served as an assistant coach at Louisiana-Lafayette from 1989-92, helping the Ragin' Cajuns reach three NCAA Regionals and win three conference titles. In 2009, Gaspard completed his second season as the Tide's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He returned for his second stint with the Crimson Tide in 2008 after six years as head coach at Northwestern State in Natchitoches, Louisiana, where he compiled a 211-128 (.622) record. During those six years, he led the Demons to a pair of Southland Conference championships, one SLC Tournament championship and a berth in the 2005 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional. In 20 years of coaching, Gaspard has worked with teams that have won eight conference championships, eight conference tournament championships, played in 16 NCAA Regionals and three College World Series berths. Gaspard was a member of Wells' original staff at Alabama in 1995 and was a pivotal figure as an ace recruiter and a shrewd tactician in the remarkable revival of the program. Alabama had four SEC wins in 1994, but after Wells and Gaspard arrived, the Tide won the SEC Tournament in 1995 and was one win away from the College World Series. By the time Gaspard returned to NSU, Alabama had earned six NCAA Regional appearances and three College World Series berths, including a national championship game loss to LSU in 1997. In each of his first seven seasons at Alabama, Gaspard helped mold the Tide into one of nation's finest defensive units. As the chief recruiter, he helped land five successive Top 20 recruiting classes, including three Top 10 finishes in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

The 2010 season was Gaspard's first season as the head coach of the Crimson Tide. He has been on the Alabama coaching staff for ten years, and was given the head coaching position when Jim Wells retired. Gaspard agreed to a 3-year contract on September 1, 2009, starting in 2010.

In Gaspard's first season as Alabama's head coach, the team went 43-25; including making it to the SEC Tournament championship game, and winning the NCAA Tournament Georgia Tech Regional. He started the 2011 season with a new assistant coach in Andy Phillips. That team went 35-28 and lost to Florida State in the 2011 NCAA Baseball Tournament. In 2012 the team struggled to a 21-34 finish. They returned to the tournament in 2013, finishing the regular season 34-26 and being knocked out the SEC Baseball Tournament by LSU.


Year-by-year record

Year School Overall Conference
2002 Northwestern State 43-17 14-10
2003 Northwestern State 35-22 16-11
2004 Northwestern State 33-23 16-9
2005 Northwestern State 42-10 22-5
2006 Northwestern State 25-28 15-15
2007 Northwestern State 33-28 15-14
2010 Alabama 43-25 15-15
2011 Alabama 35-28 14-16
2012 Alabama 21-34 9-21
2013 Alabama 34-26 14-15
OVERALL 352-251 (.584)

References

  • Estes, Gentry (September 1, 2009) "Jim Wells steps down as Alabama's baseball coach after 15 seasons." Press-Register
  • Mitch Gaspard (May 25, 2013) Wikipedia - accessed May 26, 2013

External links