September 27, 2007

Gillespie looks headed to UCI
By JANIS CARR ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

After one year of so-called retirement, Mike Gillespie is headed back to coaching college baseball.
Barring any last-minute glitches, Gillespie, who coached USC to the 1998 College World Series title, is expected to be hired as UC Irvine’s baseball coach.

Cal State Los Angeles coach Pat Shine said Monday he has accepted the position as associate head coach with the understanding that he is heir apparent to the job. Shine was an assistant at Irvine for three seasons under former coach John Savage, now at UCLA.

“It’s great to be back at Irvine,” said Shine, who also assisted Savage at UCLA for two seasons before taking the job at Cal State L.A.

Gillespie left USC in 2006, a move the school called “retirement.” But Gillespie, 67, quickly landed a job coaching the NYPenn League Staten Island Yankees, a short-season Class-A team.

He said that while working for the Yankees was a great experience, it proved too far from his Newhall home.

“My plan was always to coach again,” Gillespie said Monday.

Gillespie said he had discussions with Loyola Marymount coach Frank Cruz about becoming an assistant coach before the Irvine job opened when Dave Serrano, who coached the Anteaters for three seasons, took the Cal State Fullerton job.

“Things changed then when this opportunity came up,” Gillespie said.

In addition to the ’98 national title, Gillespie took the Trojans to Omaha three other times (‘95, 2000, and ’01).

He compiled an overall record of 763-471-2 and coached several future majorleague players — including Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Aaron Boone, Bret Boone and Geoff Jenkins — before being ushered out in 2006.
Gillespie served as head coach of the 2000 USA National Team, made up of collegiate players and guided the team to a 27-3-1 record, including a 21-game unbeaten streak and the Honkbal Week championship with an 8-5 victory against Cuba.

“He still has a ton of passion and plenty of fire left in his coaching career. He absolutely is the right guy for the job,” said Savage.

Before taking over the Cal State L.A. program this year, Shine was UCLA’s recruiting coordinator, where his first recruiting class was ranked fifth-best in the country by Baseball America.

In addition, 12 Bruins were selected in the major-league draft during his two seasons at UCLA.

He recently was named Division II West Region Coach of the Year by American Baseball Coaches Association after leading the Golden Eagles to the NCAA Division II West Regional championship in his first season. Cal State L.A. posted a school-record 45 victories and 17 losses. Shine said he was told by Irvine officials that he was in line for the Anteaters head coaching spot if and when Gillespie steps down.

But given that Irvine doesn’t have an athletic director that deal could change.

“It’s a risk,” Shine said, “but one that I’m willing to take.”