Bradley LeCroy returns to Clemson Coaching Staff

1.4K

FROM CBB NEWS SOURCE

Clemson, SC – Clemson Head Coach Jack Leggett announced the addition of Bradley LeCroy to the baseball coaching staff on Tuesday. LeCroy replaces Tom Riginos, who accepted the head-coaching job at Winthrop in early August. LeCroy will assume the role of recruiting coordinator along with hitters and outfielders coach.

LeCroy (pronounced luh-CROY) spent the past three seasons (2008-10) as Tennessee’s infielders coach and recruiting coordinator under Head Coach Todd Raleigh. Prior to his stint in Knoxville, LeCroy served under Raleigh at Western Carolina in 2006 and 2007. LeCroy was also a volunteer assistant at Clemson for three seasons from 2003-05 and was an assistant coach at Anderson College during the 2001 and 2002 seasons. In his 10 years as a coach, LeCroy has coached 37 players who went on to be drafted and 40 players who have signed professional baseball contracts.

“We are very excited to have Coach LeCroy return to Clemson,” said Leggett. “He has a long history of playing and coaching on very successful Clemson teams. He will be a great addition to our staff and will be valuable in many ways. His recruiting efforts and work ethic have been outstanding at each school he has been at as a coach. Success seems to follow him and I know our players will respond to his personality and knowledge of the game. He is one of the top recruiters in the country and he is very excited about his opportunity here at Clemson.”

During his tenure at Tennessee, LeCroy put together a pair of signing classes that ranked among the best in the nation. In 2008, his signing class was rated #28 in the country by Collegiate Baseball, then his 2009 signing class was ranked #14 in the nation by Baseball America.

Tennessee posted 67 home runs in 56 games in 2008, at the time the fifth-best mark in school history. A year later, he was a big reason the Volunteers slugged 87 long balls in just 55 games, good for the second-highest total in Tenneseee history. LeCroy also coached one of Tennessee’s best offensive players in history in Cody Hawn, who hit for the team Triple Crown in 2009 by totaling a .364 batting average, 22 home runs, and 81 RBIs.

LeCroy led Western Carolina’s offense to heights not seen in recent history. In 2007, the Catamounts were in the top 11 in the nation in runs per game, homers per game, slugging percentage, doubles per game, and batting average. Western Carolina had a 7-2 combined record against the ACC, Big Ten, and SEC in 2007 and had a school-record five players selected in the Major League draft. He also recruited, signed, and coached 2007 Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year Kenny Smith, who hit 20 homers with a .759 slugging percentage.

During the 2005 season, the last of his three years as the volunteer assistant at Clemson, LeCroy contributed to the Tigers’ third-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and a trip to the Waco (TX) Super Regional. He was a big reason Taylor Harbin had a stellar .974 fielding percentage along with 28 doubles, 10 homers, and 63 RBIs in earning second-team All-America honors as a freshman.

In 2004, the Tigers hit 73 home runs and 149 doubles. He coached Brad McCann to an All-America season, as the third-baseman hit .379 with 16 homers and 65 RBIs. The 2003 season was his first coaching at Clemson, his alma mater. The Tigers had a .326 batting average in ACC regular-season games, the best mark in the ACC by 19 points. LeCroy coached four all-conference players in 2003, all of which comprised the Tigers’ starting infield. Included in that list were underclassmen Brad McCann (3B) and Russell Triplett (SS). Seniors Michael Johnson (1B) and David Slevin (2B) also earned All-ACC honors as infielders in 2003.

LeCroy coached in the Valley League in 2003 as an assistant coach for the New Market Rebels in Virginia. The Rebels were the Valley League runnerup after compiling a 31-18 record. The 31 wins were a franchise record, while he coached eight all-stars on the Rebels’ squad. Included among those all-stars was Most Valuable Pitcher Phil Bartleski. LeCroy also worked closely with Kevin White, who was the league homer and RBI champion.

LeCroy was an assistant coach at nearby Anderson College in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he coached David Mattox, who was drafted in the 11th round by the New York Mets and was named Minor League Pitcher-of-the-Year in the Mets’ organization in 2002. In 2002, the Trojans led the Division II ranks with 41 triples. LeCroy coached three all-conference players during his time at Anderson College.

During both summers of 2001 and 2002, he was the head coach of the Williamston (SC) American Legion team. Both teams played in the state legion playoffs.

LeCroy earned four letters at Clemson from 1997-00. He was a valuable utility player who hit .266 in 173 career games and 395 at-bats. He was the everyday starting shortstop on the 1999 team that came one inning from making it to the College World Series. LeCroy was the starting shortstop alongside Khalil Greene, who was the starting third-baseman on that 1999 squad. LeCroy was also a member of Clemson’s 2000 College World Series team and a member of four NCAA Tournament teams as a Tiger.

LeCroy, 32, earned his bachelor’s degree in education from Clemson in May of 2001. LeCroy was a three-sport star at nearby Walhalla (SC) High School, earning all-state honors in baseball, basketball, and football.

He was born Bradley James LeCroy on February 1, 1978 in Anderson, SC. He married the former Meredith Chandler on January 8, 2005. Meredith was a four-time letterwinner in tennis at Clemson from 1996-99.