he's a former Tech player... great for Larry Hays, a terrific man
..
From Lubbock AJ
BY GEORGE WATSON
Oregon State pitching coach Dan Spencer, who is coming off back-to-back national championships with the Beavers, confirmed Friday he will be at a news conference scheduled for Monday that Texas Tech officials say is in regards to the school's baseball program.
When reached by phone at his Corvallis, Ore., home Friday evening, Spencer confirmed he will be in Lubbock on Sunday and has been in negotiations since before the College World Series about becoming Tech's new assistant baseball coach.
When told that Tech had announced a news conference for Monday, Spencer replied, "I'll be there for that.
"I've been talking with them. Coach (Larry) Hays called me late in the year to talk to me and asked if I might have any interest (in joining the Tech staff). I was interested enough to come down and take a look and I'll be down on Sunday. I haven't taken (the job) yet. We're trying to do things right on both ends."
Tech athletic director Gerald Myers announced shortly after the end of the 2007 season there would be a reorganization of the Texas Tech baseball coaching staff.
Head coach Larry Hays said after the season the reorganization would help strengthen Tech's recruiting efforts, and the hiring of Spencer would certainly do that while giving the Red Raiders just their second paid pitching coach since Frank Anderson left following the 1999 season.
"I'm excited we get to hire a new guy," Hays said shortly after the season. "We're hoping to get, if we go assistant coach, one of the top assistant coaches in the country."
Spencer would fill that description. His job title at Oregon State is associate head coach, but it is unknown whether he would have the same title with the Red Raiders or if he will eventually become the next head coach, as has been speculated.
And he may have done his best coaching job this past season as the Beavers defended their national title despite losing three all-America pitchers. The Beavers led the Pac-10 in ERA the last three years.
But the lure of a new challenge has led Spencer to listen to several options, both to go elsewhere as an assistant and become a head coach, in the last week.
He has a special tie to Lubbock, however, as he played for Tech from 1985 to 1987, including Hays' first year as the Red Raiders' skipper.
"Coach Hays is one (factor)," Spencer said. "I played for him and he is a very well-respected baseball guy. It's the Big 12 Conference and that's something that's exciting. And it's the opportunity to do something different. There is a tradition of winning there although they haven't won as much as they would have liked in the last couple of years. But it wasn't so far long ago they were winning. I'm hoping I can come down there and help them get it going again."
As far as the reorganization of the Tech staff goes, Spencer would be one of two paid assistants allowed by the NCAA, meaning either current hitting coach Daren Hays or infield coach Bobby Sherrard would become a volunteer coach, and it is unknown whether current volunteer pitching coach Lance Brown, who joined the staff midway through the 2005 season, would remain. Former pitcher Brandon Roberson is still listed as the program's director of baseball operations.
george.watson@lubbockonline.com 766-2166
patrick.gonzales@lubbockonline.com 766-8735
Original Post
Best wishes for Monk Kreder.