dp Staff

Coaches Corner – Kermit Smith, Lander University: New Lander skipper Kermit Smith is in the Palmetto State for the first year after a landmark run at Division II Belmont Abbey. As a young coach for the Crusaders, he transformed that program into a National contender, as evidenced by their run into the DII World Series this spring… DP-How many years have you been in coaching? What got you into the business? KS-This is my 10th year in coaching, 9th as a Head Coach. I couldn’t play anymore and wanted to stay in the game.  DP-What is the most rewarding thing about being a baseball coach?  KS-To watch the maturation process of young men. I often say to the student-athletes that we are recruiting that it is not like you can have a team meeting and say, "Alright guys, tonight we are going to learn life." This is something that they pick up from all the people that they are surrounded with throughout their life. Some of those people are their coaching staff and we take that very seriously. To track their maturation and know that you had something to do with that person that is up there on graduation day is humbling. DP-What does the term "coach" mean to you?  KS-Father with a baseball background DP-What is something you wish everyone knew about your profession?   KS-All coach’s wives should be recognized as assistant coaches. DP-We all know there is very little money in getting started in coaching at the college level yet the time involved is mind-boggling, why did you do it? KS-I don’t want to sound like a cliché’ but, "For the love of the game." DP-How do you balance the time demands of coaching and your personal life? KS-You might need to ask my wife if I do balance that or not. When I can get home I get home. I make most of my recruiting calls at night from home. It is not hard really because I love and cherish my time with my wife and son. DP-You built a program from virtually scratch at Belmont Abbey into a national contender, tell us what that journey was like: KS-The journey was fun at times and miserable at times. The early days of laying the foundation and setting the standard for which we would hold ourselves were long. Once I found someone that shared my National Championship vision, Chris Anderson (My recruiting coordinator, pitching coach, and friend), it really gained momentum and started to get fun. I wish I could say that when we took the field at the World Series it was a great sense of accomplishment, but as a coach we were there to win a National Championship not pat ourselves on the back. But overall, I would not trade one thing that happened at Belmont Abbey for anything in the world. The journey was an education. DP-Tell us what Lander must do to get into the same World Series you played in this past spring: KS-My beliefs are entrenched in family and hard work. We need to get as many good people as we can into our program who want to work daily towards winning a National Championship. It is not easy to hold yourself to that standard everyday not only as an athlete but as a person and a student too. We ask each player to hold themselves accountable to be the best son they can be to their parents, the best student they can be in the classroom, and the best athlete they can be on the field. When we have a team full of these guys we will be in a position to get to the World Series. DP-When you hear the expression "old school baseball", what does that phrase mean to you?  KS-I think "brutally honest." Constructive criticism is not designed towards hurting feelings it is designed to make players better. I think that people take honest answers and constructive criticism as negative. When in my opinion is the farthest thing from the truth. DP-What is the definition of a "student-athlete"?  KS-To repeat an earlier answer: 1-To be the best son that you can be to your parents 2-To be the best student that you can be in the classroom 3-To be the best athlete that you can be on the field DP-What is your most memorable experience as a baseball coach?  KS-The experience of leaving Belmont Abbey for Lander University. After being at the same place for nine years you develop relationships with a lot of people; players, parents, alumni, administrators, and people in the community. The amount of people that reached out to my family and me to say that they would miss us was humbling. The excitement of going to Lander University and coaching in the Peach Belt in a new stadium was incredible. The emotional transition is something that I will never forget. DP-Who has made the greatest impression on you as a baseball coach and why?  KS-Chris Anderson, my recruiting coordinator and pitching coach. He walked into Belmont Abbey 5½ years ago, pinned his ears back and worked diligently towards putting us in a position to win a National Championship everyday, when at the time there was probably no other person in the world who believed we could do it except him and me. Five years later we were one of three teams left in the country. There has never been a day that he didn’t hold himself or our players to that standard.  DP-Who are the best three players you have coached against?  KS-Shannon Wilkerson, Augusta State University, Eric Lovett, Mount Olive College, Kevin Pucetas-Limestone College DP-What does it mean to be a good teammate and is that important?  KS-To be accountable to the rules and regulations of the program and to be internally motivated to be a better player. Yes, it’s imperative. DP-Do you have any superstitions? If so, what? KS-I have an undershirt that I wear on game days. The rest of the superstitions, I kind of pick up throughout the season. If things are rolling pretty well then we usually don’t change what we are doing. DP-What do you …

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Coaches Corner – Randy Carlson, The Citadel: Bulldog assistant coach Randy Carlson is one of very few coaches at The Citadel that was not homegrown, but he bleeds blue now and is very energetic about his program. He is also shares a great passion for the coaching profession and recently took some time for DP to talk about everything from a military school to professional baseball, he even gave us an insight to some of his personal favorites off the field:  DP-How many years have you been in coaching? What got you into the business? This is my 8th year overall and 5th year at The Citadel. I got into coaching because I couldn’t picture myself being away from the game. Coaching was the natural choice when playing was no longer an option. DP-What is the most rewarding thing about being a baseball coach?  Seeing the sense of accomplishment that players feel when they are rewarded for all of their hard work, both on the field and in the classroom, is very rewarding.  DP-What does the term "coach" mean to you? At the college level a "coach" is much more than a teacher of the game. A coach is also a friend, academic advisor, role model, motivator…a guardian to all the players whose parents have put their trust in you to look out for their son’s well-being while he is away from home. DP-What is something you wish everyone knew about your profession? If for no other reason than just so I don’t have to answer the question so often, coaching is a full-time profession…all year long. We have to work just as hard, if not harder, during the parts of the year when we aren’t playing as we do in the spring when we are in the middle of our schedule. There is always something that needs to be done, whether it’s recruiting, scheduling, practicing, ordering equipment, checking up on players’ academics, fundraising, etc. DP-We all know there is very little money in getting started in coaching at the college level yet the time involved is mind-boggling, why did you do it? Like I mentioned earlier, I just couldn’t see myself without baseball in my life every day. There is nothing in the world quite like the feeling of being part of a team with a common goal in mind. Quite honestly, when you’ve never made any money in the first place you don’t realize how little you are making so it’s not a big deal starting out. I felt very fortunate to be given my first coaching opportunity by Mike McGuire, who has become a very good friend of mine, at Lander University and his generosity in paying me through camps gave me more than enough to pay the rent and put food on the table…and I even had enough left over to make sure I had the MLB Extra Innings package every year. Haha. DP-Describe your coaching experience at The Citadel, from how it began to some of your highlights while there.  I have had so many great experiences here at The Citadel and developed so many close relationships. I was lucky to be given an opportunity to become the volunteer here by Coach Jordan in August 2005 and then a full-time position in the summer of 2008. There have been so many great moments during that time, from multiple wins against opponents ranked in the Top 5 in the country to some great runs in the Southern Conference tournament to seeing many former Bulldogs play professional baseball, but the highlights to me have been getting to know the incredible people that have come through this program and getting to be a part of The Citadel family. DP-You chose a military school to coach at. What is the benefit of obtaining a degree from a military school? There are many benefits of a degree from The Citadel. This degree carries an incredible amount of weight in the "real world." It will open many doors for you and present you with many opportunities. It’s up to you to take advantage of those opportunities but they will be there for our graduates. Many of our players have very good jobs waiting on them when they finish. DP: How do you balance the time demands of coaching and a personal life? Well, truth be told, I haven’t really had to figure this one out yet. I just got engaged about two months ago, and luckily for me, my fiancée, Sara, is a college volleyball coach so she understands what goes in to the profession. Up until this point I have never had to balance the two. Check back later and I’m sure Sara will let you know how I’m doing. DP-When you hear the expression "old school baseball", what does that phrase mean to you?  Old-school baseball is usually winning baseball. To me, it is putting the importance of your team’s success far ahead of the importance of your line in the box score. It is finding a way to compete and win on a day when things aren’t going your way. As a team, can you find a way to score when you can’t seem to buy a hit? Can you keep a team off the scoreboard when you don’t have your best stuff on the mound? That’s what sets the men apart from the boys. DP-What is the definition of a "student-athlete"?  A "student-athlete" is someone who has a desire to put in the work that it takes to excel in both academics and athletics. There is enough time in the day to accomplish both. The best "student-athlete" is the one who can manage his time in a way that he doesn’t have to sacrifice either. If you prepare yourself you should never have to give up something on one side to achieve something else on the other. DP-What MLB feat in history do you wish you’d been inside the stadium to witness and why?  I have to pick two here, one that is very …

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Coaches Corner – Grant Rembert, USC Upstate: Spartan assistant coach Grant Rembert has quickly emerged as a quality position coach that is not immune to spending plenty of time on the road in search of future talent. Rembert was a fierce competitor on the field, nothing has changed as he has transitioned his focus to building a program and his resume:   DP-How many years have you been in coaching? What got you into the business? This is my 3rd year. I realized coaching is what I wanted to do my senior year of college. I had to take a medical redshirt due to an early season injury. For the first time I had to sit back and really watch the game. It was a different perspective that I really appreciated. I followed Coach Kennedy and Coach Starbuck around the whole year picking their brain and watching what they did. My injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise and set up my career. DP-What is the most rewarding thing about being a baseball coach?  The most rewarding aspect of coaching is watching a young person grow, mature, and hopefully reach their potential over 4 years. It is special when they buy into your program and apply it and as a result, reach their potential academically and athletically.  DP-What does the term "coach" mean to you?  Being a coach encompasses a lot of things. Being a coach is being a mentor, leader, motivator, teacher, and sometimes a dictator depending on the situation. It is important that a coach can take his knowledge and experiences and relate it to the athlete, so they become better people and players.  DP-What is something you wish everyone knew about your profession?  I wish everyone understood the amount of time spent that is not coaching. On the field coaching is only about 10% of the job at the Division I level. There is so much time spent RECRUITING, lifting weights, conditioning, dealing with academics, doing laundry, working on the field, setting up trips, and doing scouting reports. All of this together is what gets us up at 5:00 AM and at home around 7:00 PM or later. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.  DP-We all know there is very little money in getting started in coaching at the college level yet the time involved is mind-boggling, why did you do it? I don’t care about the money. All I need is enough to get by. I coach because I want to make a difference in lives. I see baseball as the best life tool. I want to see student-athletes receive their degree and achieve their goals knowing my experiences, knowledge, and leadership helped them along the way. I got into this business to make a difference, not to become rich.  DP-How do you balance the time demands of coaching and your personal life? Honestly, I haven’t quite figured that one out. I have a lot to learn about this. I know it will become easier the longer I coach. DP-When you hear the expression "old school baseball", what does that phrase mean to you?  That may be my favorite phrase. That is a phrase that defines players who played the game hard, smart, injured, hurt, and with passion. Nothing got in the way of winning. The phrase describes a player who literally left every ounce of energy on the field.  DP-What is the definition of a "student-athlete"?  Student first and athlete second, but a close second. I tell recruits academics are 1a. and baseball is a close 1b. Those are the only two priorities for your next 4 years. High school players have to understand that programs are investing a lot of money and resources in you over a span of 4 years. This can have a residual effect if you struggle in school. For example, you can hurt a coaches APR, which in the long run can eliminate scholarships if it gets too low. No one wants to be a bad investment, so remember that you are choosing to become a student-athlete and there is a lot of responsibility with that title. You can have a social life only if it doesn’t effect reaching your potential on and off the field. The athletes that buy into this are the ones that are successful in the classroom and on the field. In return for doing this, these are the student-athletes that have the most rewarding and fulfilling college experience.  DP-What is your most memorable experience as a baseball coach?  Winning the Southern Conference Championship and Southern Conference Tournament Championship. That was a group of guys that really believed in what was being taught and strived for the same goal.  DP-Who has made the greatest impression on you as a baseball coach and why?  Mike Kennedy, I had the opportunity to play for him 3 years and coach under him 1 year. He is a great competitor, motivator, and teacher. He just knows how to win. Greg Starbuck who has basically taken me under his wing for the past 5 years. He has taught me a lot about recruiting and teaching the game.  DP-Who are the best three players you have coached against?  Dustin Ackley-UNC, Rex Brothers-Lipscomb, Chris Sale-Florida Gulf Coast DP-What does it mean to be a good teammate and is that important?  Absolutely it is important. A good teammate is someone who you can count on every day. You know this person will work hard in every aspect of the game and always be there when called upon.  DP-Do you have any superstitions? If so, what? Yes, I do have superstitions. My big one is I can’t ever let anyone know of my superstitions.  DP-What do you see as the biggest difference in high school-aged players today versus when you played?  When I played there wasn’t as much specialization going on. Everyone played more than one sport and as a result they were better athletes (not necessarily better baseball players) and they had a different mindset. They were more …

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Coaches Corner – Kyle DiEduardo, Winthrop University: Eagle pitching coach Kyle DiEduardo (left) is in his eighth year at Winthrop, fourth overall in charge of the moundsmen. In his Q & A for DP, he spent quite a bit of time answering us in great detail. Not only does he provide an interesting perspective on an array of topics, DiEduardo also had a college roommate whose name you’ll know, that has a skill-set that is consistent with what college coaches are in search of… DP-How many years have you been in coaching? What got you into the business? I’m entering my 9th year coaching. I knew I wanted to be a coach after spending a year behind a desk doing a few internships with financial advising firms. I would watch the clock go by every day and didn’t enjoy the set hours. While being a student assistant at my alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, I knew I wanted to coach. I could spend all day doing something I loved and didn’t care about how many hours went by or how much money I made. DP-What is the most rewarding thing about being a baseball coach?  Helping players get the most out of themselves both on and off the field is very rewarding. There is a huge maturation process that takes place between when they graduate from High School to when the graduate college. They come in a boys and leave as men. It’s great to see where kids are when they enter a program and then where they are when they leave. I love keeping in contact with former players and seeing what they are doing with their life today. DP-What does the term "coach" mean to you? Someone who is willing to be there for a player 24/7. Someone who truly cares about every player regardless of each one’s talent level. A coach is a leader of young men and needs to realize that he is always an example for his player’s. DP-What is something you wish everyone knew about your profession?  That being a college baseball coach is a year round job. I often get asked, at Christmas parties or functions, from people what do we do in the off-season. Sometimes I think people do not realize what all is involved. Being a college baseball coach is a year round job. Here are a few things we do other than actually coach baseball: recruiting, team travel, camps, scheduling, video, equipment, fundraising, and lots of paper work and returning emails.   DP-We all know there is very little money in getting started in coaching at the college level yet the time involved is mind-boggling, why did you do it? It really was and has never been about the money to me. I knew I loved it from the beginning when I could spend all day doing something and not get tired of it. I wake up every morning in a great mood and am always excited to get to work. Not many people can say that and there isn’t a price you can put on that. It was hard to stay afloat those first few years, but you do what you can to make it work. I am very fortunate to be where I am today.  DP-How do you balance the time demands of coaching and your family? It’s extremely hard. Coaching is a very demanding profession. Coaching is not a 9-5 job and we usually do not have many weekends off. My wife and I recently had a baby girl about 3 months ago, so now I’m learning a lot about being a dad. It’s hard being away from both my wife and now my daughter, but I try my best to be the very best husband and father I can be. My wife would definitely love to have me home more often but understands that I love what I do and hopefully one day my career can support our entire family. Coach Hudak is a great guy to work for and he allows all of us here to spend time with our families when needed. DP-Quite a few rules have changed the recruiting game over the past 5 years. Which rule changes do you like, not like and how has it altered your approach to recruiting? I really like the transfer rule. I think kids are more apt to think a little more about their decision before just committing to a school because they know that they will have to sit out a year if they want to transfer to another institution. In the past, I believe kids would go to the bigger schools and try to make it work there first and if it didn’t work then just transfer to somewhere they where going to play. Some kids do a little more homework before making a decision now. I don’t really care for the NCAA telling us that we have to at least offer a kid 25% scholarship. I know when I went to school I was on a lot less than 25%. Every little bit of scholarship helps every family. It would be nice to be able to offer a kid a scholarship based on what we believe he deserves rather than the NCAA telling what we have to do. It would also be nice if we could be like most of the other sports and have more than 11.7 scholarships to distribute between 27 players. When you hear the expression "old school baseball", what does that phrase mean to you?  Playing the game hard. Players not afraid of getting dirty. Hustling down the line even if they hit a pop up or ground ball out. Hustling in and out of the dugout after innings. Pitchers that aren’t afraid to pitch inside. They are aggressive on the mound, at the plate, and on the bases.       DP-What is the definition of a "student-athlete"?  A person who wants to first get a degree and second represent that …

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