EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern head baseball coach Paul Stevens will retire at the conclusion of the 2015 season after serving the program since 1985, Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips announced Thursday, April 2. Stevens worked as an assistant coach under both Ron Wellman and Larry Cochell from 1985-1987 before taking over as NU’s head coach for the 1988 season.
“We are incredibly grateful that Northwestern has been blessed with a tremendous leader like coach Paul Stevens for the last three decades,” said Phillips. “His contributions to this place are simply immeasurable. The young men who have gone through the baseball program under his guidance illustrate the special investment that he has made into the success of each of their lives, both on and off the field. Paul, Kenan and their children will always be a part of our Northwestern family.”
“We have had an incredible run during my time at this place that I consider to be so special,” said Stevens. “I often think about big wins and moments on the field, but what will surely last are the memories and friendships that I have been so fortunate to develop over the past 30 years. It has been a blessing for me and my family to be a part of the Northwestern community for many years, and we look forward to a great conclusion to the year.”
Stevens, a three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, has amassed more wins than any other skipper in program history. He currently owns 663 victories as the program’s head coach including 311 in Big Ten play. George McKinnon, the man who sits in second place on NU’s all-time list, is more than 350 victories behind Stevens.
Since taking over the program, Stevens has seen 65 players drafted by a Major League Baseball club or signed to a professional contract, including his oldest son, Trevor, who joined the professional ranks in 2013. At least one player has been chosen in 16 of the past 17 MLB drafts. Overall, Stevens has coached 93 All-Big Ten selections including current New York Yankees manager and four-time World Series champion Joe Girardi, two-time Major League Baseball All-Star Mark Loretta and recent major leaguers J.A. Happ of the Seattle Mariners, George Kontos of the San Francisco Giants, Jake Goebbert of the San Diego Padres, Bo Schultz of the Toronto Blue Jays and Eric Jokisch of the Chicago Cubs.
Under Stevens’ guidance the Wildcats have excelled in the classroom. Since 1985, 196 student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors, while eight have been named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans. He has mentored five Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients, including Girardi, Loretta, Ron Rojas, Francis Brooke and Luke Farrell. The Medal of Honor is the conference’s most oldest and exclusive award, bestowed to one male and one female student-athlete from the graduating class of each university who had attained the greatest proficiency in athletics and scholastic work.
