TCBB has learned from multiple sources that Chad Kreuter has been fired from USC. Since taking over the program in 2006 Coach Kreuter has failed to get USC to the post season. Frank Cruz, a volunteer assistant at USC for the last two seasons, will serve as interim coach for the 2011 season.
This move has been rumored for a couple of years as the USC program has won the most CWS titles with 12 and appeared in 21 total CWS. The program hasn’t been up to those standards over the last couple of seasons including two years ago when they had Grant Green and Robert Stock who were selected early in the 2009 MLB Draft but failed to do much on the diamond.
The move to give the reins over to Cruz is interesting. He was the head coach at Loyola Marymount for 12 years (1997-2008). He finished eighth in West Coast Conference history for overall victories (329) and sixth in conference wins (170). He was the WCC Coach of the Year 3 times (1998-2000-2004). The Lions won 3 straight WCC titles from 1998 to 2000 (the first time in school history) and made 3 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. His team also won 2 other WCC Coast Division titles (2004-05) that enabled the Lions to play in the conference championship series.
Brian Foley, Editor of The College Baseball Blog
I am not surprised by this move at all but I am surprised at the timing of the news. School starts in two weeks at SC and with them making this move so close to the start of the season means that they have to stick to someone currently on the staff in Frank Cruz. This job is considered one of the top jobs in the country and many coaches around the country will be interested in it.
Mark Rafferty, Assistant Editor of The College Baseball Blog
I think with Frank Cruz having the job for next year at USC, we could see Dave Serrano from Fullerton make the move to the Trojans and help groom Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Sergio Brown into a Head Coaching role.
We will have our thoughts on the Top 5 Candidates for the job tomorrow evening.
1 comment
doesn’t surprise me either considering USC cut a pitcher from the team who ended up getting drafted last year.
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