CORVALLIS, Ore. – Pat Casey, the winningest coach in Oregon State Athletics history, announced Thursday his retirement from coaching after 24 years in Corvallis and 31 seasons at the collegiate level.
He claimed 900 victories at Oregon State, with the last coming in the final game of the 2018 College World Series as the Beavers won their third national championship.
While coaching at Oregon State, his teams made six visits to the College World Series, and won 21 games in Omaha, among the most in CWS history. His teams made 13 total trips to the postseason, accounting for 64 of Oregon State baseball’s 69 all-time victories.
Casey coached 21 players who have since appeared at the Major League level, and countless others who have gone on to successful careers off the field.
“I would first like to thank all the players who have given me the opportunity and honor to coach them over the last 31 years,” Casey said. “Your dedicated commitment has truly made the journey what it is and made what we do more than special; I will be forever grateful. You have left me with memories I will never forget. You are true warriors.
“Thank you to our coaching staff at Oregon State – your work ethic and loyalty are second-to-none; each and every one is the absolute best. We’ve had so many great times on and off the field which will never be forgotten. And to all the coaches and support staff members I’ve gotten to work with over so many years, I thank you all. Additionally, thank you to the members of the administration at Oregon State for your support throughout the years.
“To my wife, Susan, and my family, thank you for being there every step of the way.
“I don’t have enough space or time to thank all the individuals who I’ve had the pleasure of working with throughout the years. You know who you are and I want to thank each and every one of you.
“I also want to thank Beaver Nation for being the best baseball fans in America. We all truly appreciate your support.
“I have always expected that I be at the same level at which we ask our players day in and day out, and right now, I’m not sure I can’t do that, but I’m also not certain I can. Therefore, I believe it is the right time to step down as head coach of the Oregon State baseball program.
“I would like to thank Ed Ray and Scott Barnes for giving me the opportunity to remain with Oregon State and the athletic department.”
“I’ve truly been blessed.”
Casey will remain at Oregon State as a Senior Associate Athletics Director/Special Assistant to Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes.
“It’s very difficult to put into words what Coach Casey has done for Oregon State University, the state of Oregon, college baseball overall and the tremendous impact he has made on the lives of so many young people during his coaching career,” Barnes said. “While I’m saddened to lose Coach Casey in the dugout; I’m thrilled to have Coach Casey remain on staff to serve as an ambassador for our department, be a mentor for other coaches, and play a role in fundraising.”
Barnes announced on Thursday that Pat Bailey, who served as an assistant coach and associate head coach under Casey for 11 seasons at Oregon State, has been named interim head coach. A national search will begin at the conclusion of the 2019 season.
Casey came to Oregon State in 1995 after seven seasons as the head coach at George Fox. During his tenure with the Beavers, he won 900 games – 1,071 all-time with 171 at George Fox – which ranks sixth in Pac-12 Conference history. His .662 winning percentage is good for 13th in conference history, and third amongst coaches this century.
Casey, whose hometown is Newberg, Ore., was named national coach of the year by at least one organization five times: in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2017 and 2018. The honors followed national championships in 2006, 2007 and 2018.
OSU is the only program to ever win six elimination games in Omaha, doing so in 2006 and 2018. The Beavers also became just the fifth program in NCAA history to win back-to-back national titles and were the first Northern school to win a championship in more than 40 years.
In his last two seasons, Casey guided the Beavers to a 111-18-1 record, the second-most wins over a two-year stretch in conference history. OSU went 57-6 (.905) at Goss Stadium at Coleman Field over that stretch; the Beavers posted winning records at home in 21 of Casey’s 24 seasons at the helm.
A total of 116 players have been drafted by MLB organizations since 1995, with eight going in the first round, including a school-record three in 2018 (Nick Madrigal, Trevor Larnach and Cadyn Grenier). Twenty-one of those selections have played in the Major Leagues, with a school-record 11 appearing at the game’s highest level in 2017.
Casey’s teams have been recognized with the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Team Academic Excellence Award for three consecutive years. The Beavers are the only team from the Pac-12 to be recognized during that stretch, and one of 15 nationally to earn the honor all three years. In the last three seasons alone, Oregon State has seen 43 student-athletes named Pac-12 All-Academic, which leads the conference.
He was recognized significantly twice leading up to the 2010 season. First, Casey was named the top collegiate coach of the previous decade by Baseball America, and the Beavers, as a team, were recognized as the No. 2 program, just behind Texas.
Following that recognition, he and his wife, Susan, were the recipients of the Nell and John Wooden Coaching Achievement Award. The honor goes to a head coach and their spouse for their dedication to success on the field and in making an impact on the lives of their players.
About Pat Casey
– 900 wins at Oregon State. His 900th win came in the 2018 national title game versus Arkansas. Leaves as the winningest coach in Oregon State Athletics history.
– All-time record 1,071-572-7 (.651) with a 171-114-1 (.600) mark at George Fox. Final record of 900-468-6 (.662) at Oregon State. He averaged nearly 46 wins per year over his last eight seasons.
– Named the Pac-10/12 Coach of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2011, 2013 and 2017.
– Won 50 or more games four times: 50 in 2006, 52 in 2013, 56 in 2017 and 55 in 2018. He is the only coach in program history to win 50 in a single-season.
– Totaled 40 or more wins nine times during his tenure at Oregon State.
– Mentored 24 players who were named an All-American at least once. Twenty-one players were recognized as Freshman All-Americans.
– Thirteen players went on to play for the Team USA Collegiate National Team. Two more – Jordan Lennerton and Carter Bell – played for Team Canada. Brian Barden, who played for Casey from 2000-02, played in the 2008 Olympics for Team USA.
– Ben Bertrand (1998), Mitch Canham (2007) and Jake Thompson (2017) earned CoSIDA Academic All-America honors under Casey.
