Another Head Coach Designate

LUBBOCK, Texas – Dan Spencer, the 2007 National Pitching Coach of the Year, was named head coach designate of Texas Tech Baseball today by Director of Athletics Gerald Myers.

He will replace Larry Hays once he announces his retirement. A time table has not been set for such an announcement and he has one year remaining on his current contract that expires in 2009.

“We have one of the finest young assistant coaches in the country who is currently serving our program in that capacity now, “said Director of Athletics Gerald Myers.  “I am pleased to announce that Dan Spencer has been named the designate head coach of Texas Tech Baseball upon Coach Hays’ retirement.  Coach Spencer is widely recognized as one of the top assistant and pitching coaches in college baseball.  He was vital in developing the pitching staffs at Oregon State where he served as the head recruiter and helped lead the Beavers to two NCAA titles.  Dan is a former player who has great enthusiasm and passion for Texas Tech.”

Spencer, 42, is in his first season as the associate head coach of the Red Raiders where he oversees the pitchers/catchers and plays a major role in the team’s recruiting efforts. 

He spent the last 11 seasons at Oregon State and the last three as associate head coach where he served as pitching/catching coach and recruiting coordinator. His pitching staff's over the last two seasons during his tenure were instrumental in helping the Beavers become the first back-to-back College World Series Champions since LSU in the late 1990's.  In those two seasons, his staff's compiled 3.41 and 3.48 cumulative ERA's while leading the team to 50-16 and 49-18 respective records. His group led the Pac-10 in ERA in both 2005 and 2006 while his bullpen helped pave the way to back-to-back national titles by contributing 20-plus saves in both 2006 and 2007. Under his leadership, the Beavers had three pitchers and one catcher named to All-America teams and seven drafted in the top 10 rounds of the MLB Draft. Eddie Kunz, the ace of the 2007 staff, and catcher Mitch Canhan, the squad's leading hitter, were both first round draft selections in the 2007 MLB Draft.

“I am very excited that the administration here at Texas Tech feels the same way that I do about Dan (Spencer) and the rest of our coaching staff, “said Texas Tech Head Coach Larry Hays.  “Dan is a phenomenal coach and recruiter and he will be a perfect fit for this program.  I thought that it was very important that we establish some continuity here so that our players and future players will know that this staff will still be in place when I decide to retire.  Dan has a great love for this university and his passion for this community and the Red Raiders is very real.”

Upon the retirement of Larry Hays, Spencer will become the eighth head coach in school history joining E.Y. Freeland (1925-27), R.G. Higginbotham (1928-29), Beattie Feathers (1954-60), Berl Huffman (1961-67), Kal Segrist (1968-83), Gary Ashby (1984-86) and Larry Hays (1987-present).

“I feel privileged and honored to follow a coaching legend in Larry Hays, “said new head coach designate Dan Spencer.  I will treat the entire program and this university with the utmost respect and honor.  Texas Tech Baseball is what it is because of the foundation that was laid by those who came before me and Larry Hays is at the front of that list.  I love Texas Tech University and there is no other place that I or my family would ever want to be.”