FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Randy Mazey, who has more than 20 years of collegiate baseball coaching experience, has been named West Virginia University’s 19th head baseball coach, Director of Athletics Oliver Luck announced today.
“We are delighted to welcome Randy into our Mountaineer family,” says Luck. “He is a blue-collar guy whose father was a coal miner, and he was raised in Johnstown, Pa. He understands the work ethic that all Mountaineers share, and in that regard he is one of us.
“Randy is a down-to-earth person who has done a great job at TCU. He knows our regional recruiting area, as well as the traditional Big 12 recruiting areas. He’s a pitching coach who understands the importance of pitching in a top-flight conference like the Big 12, and I know he will bring in an excellent group of assistant coaches. Randy is smart, very well respected in the college baseball community and understands the challenges that we will face in the Big 12.”
Previously the head coach at East Carolina (2004-06) and Charleston Southern (1994-96), Mazey has spent the last six seasons as an assistant under Jim Schlossnagle at TCU, including the last three as associate head coach. With Mazey on staff, the Horned Frogs have compiled a record of 269-104 and won at least 40 games each season, including a 7-4 victory over Ole Miss on June 4 in the NCAA College Station Regional Championship game. With the win, TCU advanced to its third NCAA Super Regional round in the last four years.
Including this season, the Horned Frogs have made six NCAA Regional appearances, three NCAA Super Regionals and one College World Series during Mazey’s time at TCU.
“I am extremely thankful to Oliver Luck and West Virginia University for giving me this opportunity,” says Mazey. “I am excited to be the head baseball coach at such a fine university and look forward to the journey into the Big 12 Conference and the challenge that lies ahead. I also look forward to becoming part of the Mountaineer family, and I am anxious to work with WVU’s administration, alumni, fans and the Morgantown community to take this baseball program to new levels.”
During Mazey’s tenure, TCU has won six regular season and three Mountain West Conference tournament titles. Additionally, prior to this year’s draft, 15 pitchers have been drafted in the last five seasons and four pitchers have earned All-America honors.
After winning a share of the 2012 Mountain West Conference regular-season title, the Horned Frogs earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA College Station Regional. TCU advanced to its fourth regional championship game in program history with a 5-2 win over Ole Miss on June 3; the Frogs previously advanced in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The decisive victory on Monday night was the first time in school history TCU won a Regional on the road. Additionally, it was the first time the Frogs won four games in a Regional.
Mazey guided freshman right-handed pitcher Preston Morrison to the 2012 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards. He is the first-ever athlete in the conference’s history to earn both honors in one season, and he also earned a spot on the All-Mountain West First Team. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Mitchell also was named to the first team, while junior right-handed relief pitcher Kevin Allen scored a spot on the second team.
As a staff this season, TCU owns a 3.33 earned run average and has held opponents to a .243 batting average. The Frogs have earned seven shutouts, while two of Mazey’s pitchers have won nine games each.
The Horned Frogs will meet UCLA in the NCAA Super Regional on Friday, June 8, at the Bruins’ Jackie Robinson Field.
In 2011, the Horned Frogs posted a 3.20 ERA, the lowest mark in program history since 1970, and finished with 477 strikeouts, the fifth-best program mark.
Mazey guided Matt Purke, who was distinguished as the 2010 consensus National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by several publications, to the Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year award. That season’s staff produced two All-Americans and four pitchers earned all-conference honors.
The Horned Frogs posted a league-best 484 strikeouts in Mazey’s first season, while four pitchers earned all-conference honors. No fewer than two pitchers earned All-Mountain West honors in the subsequent two seasons.
In three seasons at ECU, Mazey put together a 120-66-1 (.644) record, including a school-record 51-13 (.797) mark in his second season in 2004. ECU earned three trips to the NCAA Regionals under his watch.
Prior to a 35-26 campaign in 2005 and a third trip to the NCAA Regionals, Mazey had arguably his most successful season as a head coach, leading the Pirates to a Conference USA regular-season championship with a 25-5 league mark and an NCAA Super Regional appearance. ECU finished the year ranked as high as No. 8 in Baseball America’s poll, and Mazey was named the C-USA Keith LeClair Coach of the Year. Additionally, he was named the East Region Coach of Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Mazey earned his first head coaching opportunity at Charleston Southern, as he accepted the position at the age of 27 in 1994. After going 36-60 in his first two seasons, he led a CSU team, picked to finish last in the 1996 preseason coaches’ poll, to an NCAA Regional appearance, the Buccaneers first-ever bid, and a 30-24-1 mark, the team’s first winning season since 1988 and its second 30-win season in school history. Named the Big South Coach of the Year, Mazey directed CSU to the Big South Championship.
In six seasons as head coach, Mazey has compiled a career record of 186-159-2 (.536).
Following that season, Mazey became the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Georgia in 1997, where his staff produced its lowest ERA in four years and set a strikeout record.
Mazey then spent the 1998 season at ECU as an assistant and also served as the program’s recruiting coordinator. During his first tenure with the Pirates, the team posted the third-highest strikeout total in school history.
Mazey spent four seasons as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Tennessee. His staffs posted two of the top four strikeout totals in school history, and he produced six Volunteer pitchers who signed professionally, including one first-round draft pick. In 2000, Tennessee had the second-best ERA in the Southeastern Conference. The Vols advanced to the College World Series in 2001 and tied for third place.
Mazey began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Clemson, his alma mater, in 1990. During his four-year stint (1990-93), the Tigers recorded a 198-67 mark, won two Atlantic Coast Conference titles, made four straight NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the College World Series in 1991. He coached or recruited 40 players who went on to play professionally, including 19 who were drafted in the top 10 rounds.
A three-time All-ACC selection as an outfielder/pitcher during his playing career (1985-88) at Clemson, Mazey won two ACC titles with the Tigers and advanced to two NCAA Regionals. He finished with a career batting average of .331 and was 8-1 on the mound.
Mazey was drafted in the 28th round of the 1988 draft by Cleveland and played two seasons in that organization’s minor league system before returning to Clemson as an assistant coach.
A native of Johnstown, Pa., he earned a bachelor of science degree in administrative management from Clemson in 1988 and an MBA from Clemson in 1993. Following his prep career at United High in Johnstown, he was an 11th round pick in the amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
Randy and his wife, Amanda, have a son, Weston Aydan, and a daughter, Sierra Miranda.
Coaching Experience
Year, Position, University, Record, Season Notes
1990, Assistant Coach, Clemson, 43-23, NCAA Regional
1991, Assistant Coach, Clemson, 60-10, ACC Champions, College World Series
1992, Assistant Coach, Clemson, 50-14, ACC Championship; NCAA Regional
1993, Assistant Coach, Clemson, 45-20, ACC Championships; NCAA Regional
1994, Head Coach, Charleston Southern, 23-20
1995, Head Coach, Charleston Southern, 13-40
1996, Head Coach, Charleston Southern, 30-24-1, Big South Champions; NCAA Regional
1997, Assistant Coach, Georgia, 28-27
1998, Assistant Coach, East Carolina, 30-29
1999, Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 28-28
2000, Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 40-23
2001, Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 48-20, College World Series
2002, Assistant Coach, Tennessee, 27-28
2003, Head Coach, East Carolina, 34-24-1, NCAA Regional
2004, Head Coach, East Carolina, 51-13, C-USA Champions; NCAA Super Regional
2005, Head Coach, East Carolina, 35-26, NCAA Regional
2007, Assistant Coach, TCU, 48-14, MWC Champions; NCAA Regional
2008, Assistant Coach, TCU, 44-19, MWC Champions; NCAA Regional
2009, Assistant Coach, TCU, 40-18, MWC Champions; NCAA Super Regional
2010, Associate Head Coach, TCU, 54-14, MWC Champions; College World Series
2011, Associate Head Coach, TCU, 43-19, MWC Champions; NCAA Regional
2012, Associate Head Coach, TCU, 40-20, MWC co-Champions; NCAA Super Regional
