According to multiple sources, former Bates College head baseball coach Edwin Thompson will be named an Assistant Coach at Duke. In two years at Bates, Thompson compiled a 37-33 record. The Bobcats finished 12-22 in 2009, then set a school record for victories by going 25-11 (6-6 in conference) last spring.
Bates Athletic Director Kevin McHugh stated the following about Thompson’s departure to The Sun Journal:
"Obviously, the last couple of years have been pretty terrific for the program and where we’ve gone, so you hate to see it on the one hand. But you also know when a guy has an opportunity like that, especially someone that’s young and talented, it’s not like it’s totally unexpected," he said.
"He brought an energy and enthusiasm that I think was a breath of fresh air, if you will," McHugh added. "Certainly he brought a perception of being a baseball guy even though he had some other responsibilities, and that may not have been the case in previous positions, that we had a guy that was a baseball guy. That’s what we’re going to look to do with whoever we hire after this."
It looks to me that the Blue Devils are getting a young and energetic assistant coach with good ties to the South as he expanded Bates recruiting efforts into the region putting the small New England school on the map. This should transfer well over to a Duke program which struggled last season to a 29-27 overall record while being a disappointing 8-22 in ACC play.
