October 11, 2007

New leader
Former USC coach Mike Gillespie tries to help Anteater baseball program maintain its winning ways.
By TIM BURT IRVINE WORLD NEWS

Former USC baseball coach Mike Gillespie made it clear Tuesday he isn’t ready for retirement.

In fact Gillespie, 67, seems like he can’t wait to get involved with his newest project, the UC Irvine baseball team.

Gillespie’s three-year contact was finalized this week, and Tuesday afternoon he was introduced as UCI’s new baseball coach at a press conference at Newkirk Pavilion at Anteater Ballpark.

“Mike Gillespie is the right choice for UC Irvine,” said Paula Smith, UCI’s interim director of athletics.

Gillespie will earn a base salary of $140,000 and is eligible under UC policy to earn an additional compensation of up to $150,000 from athletic shoe, apparel and equipment agreements.

Gillespie also has compensation incentives, which include bonus payments totaling $27,000 for participation in post-season competition and the College World Series, and for achieving national coach of the year honors, UCI officials said.
Gillespie replaces Dave Serrano, who became Cal State Fullerton’s head coach after leading the Anteaters to the College World Series this past season, his third at UCI.

Gillespie, who couldn’t have contact with his players until his contract was finalized Monday, seemed excited to get the job.

“This is a great program,” said Gillespie, who was manager of the Staten Island Yankees last season. “Certainly our thoughts are that it is going to continue to be a great program.”

Gillespie’s contract is for three years. After that time, it will be up to him and university officials to see if he continues.
“I’m going to read that contract again,” he said. “I’m going to know very well the length of the contract and I certainly intend to complete the length of that contract.

“Beyond that, I don’t know how it can be predicted what will happen after that.”

Gillespie coached at USC from 1987 to 2006 and led the Trojans to 15 post-season appearances. He was named the national coach of the year in 1998 after leading USC to the national championship.

Gillespie had a 763-471-2 record in 20 seasons and produced 28 major league players including five who were voted to the all-star games in 2003 (Mark Prior, Barry Zito, Aaron Boone, Bret Boone and Geoff Jenkins).

But after he retired, Gillespie knew he needed to get back into the game, “after about three days of Oprah.”

“I was regretting that I hadn’t been able to develop my skills as a golfer or a fisherman or a hangglider, and so there I was, sitting at home, which my wife could not stand,” Gillespie said. “So we made the joint decision and the one and only thing I knew was baseball and this very unusual and exceptional opportunity presented itself with the Yankees.”

After one year with the organization, Gillespie indicated his desire to work closer to home.

“I was prepared to go to work with another university prior to the time this opportunity came up,” he said.

Gillespie said he is excited about his new challenge at UC Irvine.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for me,” he said. “I could have never predicted a few months ago or a couple years ago that this is where I would be standing and this would be an opportunity I would have.”

Gillespie praised the accomplishments of Serrano and his players from last year.

“It’s fresh in everybody’s mind the extraordinary accomplishments that this team achieved as they kind of rolled through Texas and through Wichita and then in Omaha at the College World Series,” said Gillespie.

“This UCI program in a very short period of time has done very, very well.

“This has become a special place quickly and I’m very fortunate to be a part of it.

“I certainly think that the players anticipate continuing to grow and develop and improve and continue to have the success that’s been had, and plus some.

“Certainly that’s our goal and our plan and I think it’s reasonable for everybody in the room to expect that this program is going to continue to grow and continue to enjoy the kind of consistency that has been demonstrated here.”

Gillespie said he has told his players to expect, “some of the same kind of things.” “I have no law against the three-run home run,” he said. “I’m perfectly OK with that. We sometimes give that sign. But we’re really trying to develop the most complete player we can develop.

“We certainly recognize you have to be able to hit. The term ‘manufacture runs’ is a good term, but typically in there, there is a hit involved or a couple of hits involved.”

Gillespie said UCI executed the “short game,” well last year.

“I’ve heard people say that team was the best prepared and most skilled team at the things they did of any team that anybody played against last year,” he said.

“They were very aggressive on the bases, they ran a lot and were very aggressive in all aspects. Certainly those are things we believe must continue to be done.”

UCI players who attended the press conference are pleased with the decision, said junior infielder Ben Orloff.

“We’re really excited to have Coach Gillespie and feel really fortunate to have him leading us up here,” said Orloff. “We’ve had a couple meetings with him and he introduced himself and is trying to get to know our names.

“I think it’s going to be an easy transition for us.”

Orloff said the UCI players are setting some high goals.

“We plan on getting back to Omaha and see what happens from there,” he said.

Gillespie said no decision has been made on a new pitching coach for UCI.

His top assistant will be former UCI assistant coach Pat Shine.

Shine, who has been head coach at Cal State Los Angeles, will be the associate head coach.

Shine was an assistant coach for John Savage at UCI for three years before becoming UCLA’s recruiting coordinator when Savage became the Bruins’ head coach.

In his first season at Cal State Los Angeles, Shine was named Division II West Region coach of the year after leading the Golden Eagles to the West Regional title. The team had a record of 45-17.

Gillespie said Shine will be a valuable part of the staff.

“He certainly is going to wear many hats,” said Gillespie. “He will be called the recruiting coordinator. He is also going to be the hitting coach and the third base coach and he will work with outfielders.”

Smith, the interim athletic director, said there have not been any guarantees made to Shine that he will replace Gillespie after three years.

“Institutionally, our decision was to hire a head coach,” she said.

“Mike Gillespie will have a multi-year contract and at the end of that multi-year contract, we will be assessing which direction we will move.

“It’s certainly an opportunity for him (Gillespie) to continue on if that’s the right choice for our institution.

“We’re proud to have Pat on board. We believe he’s a quality head coach to be watched. We have great confidence in him that during this three years, he will have a chance to show and prove his worth to the program, which is already valued.

“If Gillespie were to resign, being on staff, he certainly would have the inside track in terms of skills in presenting what he has to offer. I can’t give you a guarantee on that, but he is here to do the job and prove to us that he would be a head coach at some point in time.”