Volunteer Assistant Coach Spud Adams
FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
RUSTON — Louisiana Tech head baseball coach Wade Simoneaux announced Wednesday an addition to his coaching staff as Spud Adams will serve as the team’s volunteer assistant coach.
I am really excited about the opportunity Coach Simoneaux has given me, Adams said.
Adams fills the position that was held by Dr. David Szymanski who will remain on the staff as the strength and conditioning coach. Previously, Adams served two seasons as a manager of the Bulldogs.
Spud brings a great deal of youth and enthusiasm to our coaching staff, Simoneaux said. He also brings a good work ethic, which will benefit not only the team, but specifically, the catchers and infielders.
Adams played two years of collegiate baseball at second base, third base and in the outfield at Angelina Junior College in Lufkin, Texas. He was awarded all-conference as a freshman and sophomore.
Since I recently played baseball in college, I believe I will be able to relate very well with our players,” Adams said. “I have learned that nothing in baseball comes over night. It takes a lot of hard work and practice to succeed in this game.
The new volunteer assistant coach will graduate from Tech in 2009 with a bachelor’s of science degree in kinesiology and health promotion.
Right now, my goal is to coach baseball at the collegiate level, Adams said. I want to take away as much as possible from this experience by building on what I will be learning as an assistant coach.
Szymanski will begin his third season on the Bulldogs staff. He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with distinction through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and has been involved in training baseball players since 1992. Before arriving at Tech, he served as the exercise physiologist for the Auburn University baseball team where he trained, tested and evaluated the players’ athletic performance.
The native of LaGrange, Ill. is a full-time assistant professor of exercise physiology at Tech. He earned his bachelor’s degree in fine arts and kinesiology at Texas Lutheran, completed his master’s in physical education at Texas State and earned his doctorate from Auburn in exercise physiology.
It would be hard to replace what Coach Szymanski does with our players in the weight room and with their run techniques, Simoneaux said. He does an outstanding job year-round.
The Bulldogs will open their 2009 season against Grambling State on Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. at J.C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park.
