FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Dave Dangler, a veteran with 23 years of collegiate head coach experience and another 11 years as a professional scout for the Montreal Expos, Florida Marlins and Baltimore Orioles, has been named pitching coach at Notre Dame, head coach Dave Schrage announced Tuesday.
"We are excited that Dave has chosen to join us here at Notre Dame as pitching coach," Schrage said. "We are very, very fortunate to hire a coach with this amount of experience and knowledge, as both a head coach and scout. Dave has both a proven and lengthy track record in the evaluation and development of pitchers. He will make an immediate impact with our program, both on the field and in recruiting."
Dangler served as head coach at three previous locations, including Linn-Benton Community College (1977-83), Yavapai Junior College (1983-94) and Portland State (1995-98). He led Linn-Benton to three National Junior College World Series appearances in 1979, 1980 and 1981, and then directed Yavapai to the 1993 NJCAA National Championship as well as a third place finish in 1986 – a team that included potential Major League Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Curt Schilling.
"I am appreciative for this opportunity to join Coach Schrage and the Notre Dame family," Dangler said. "The opportunity to coach with a program such as Notre Dame that has the perfect combination of values, traditions, academics and athletic dedication is an honor. I look forward to being a part of the program’s continued success in the future and cannot wait to get started."
Schilling, who retired from MLB and the Boston Red Sox following the 2007 season, said that playing for Dangler was crucial to him. That magical ’86 season set the foundation for a successful career.
"Dave was a very pivotal man in my life," Schilling said. "I was in my share of trouble that year, being away from home. He called me into his office one day, sat me down after the draft and said, ‘You have to look at things very differently from here on out, because you’re pitching for dollars now. This is about your future and your career.’ He really made me focus on priorities, I didn’t immediately change, but it was something I started to understand a little bit better."
Dangler remains the only coach in junior college history to take teams from different schools to the NJCAA World Series. He was named region coach of the year on five different occasions and was National Coach of the Year in 1993. Dangler’s 18-year coaching record at the junior college level was 516-350, which at the time ranked him among the top 25 winningest coaches in NJCAA history.
Dangler had eight players earn All-America status and 44 (23 pitchers) were eventually selected in the MLB draft. In addition to Schilling, Dangler also tutored current San Francisco Giants reliever Bobby Howry at Yavapai.
After spending four years at Portland State, the program was disbanded and Dangler moved into the scouting profession. He spent the last 11 years as an area scout with the Expos (1999-2001), Marlins (2001-05) and Orioles (2005-09). Dangler was named scout of the year by the Expos in 2001 and earned the same honor from the Marlins in 2003. He also spent one season as the manager of the Expos’ Gulf Coast League affiliate in 2001.
Dangler graduated from Western Oregon University in 1972 and earned a master’s degree from Portland State in 1976. He attended Madison High School in Portland and was a pitcher on the 1969 national champion American Legion team. Dangler has since been named to the State of Oregon Athletic Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the Northwest Community College Athletic Association Hall of Fame.
