Indiana Baseball HC Tracy Smith Leaves for Arizona State

Mavric

Mavric

Yoda
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The most successful coaching tenure in Indiana baseball history has ended.


Tracy Smith, who guided IU to three NCAA tournaments, the Big Ten's first-ever national seed and the program's first College World Series appearance, has accepted the head coaching position at Arizona State, a source confirmed to The Star Tuesday evening. Indiana later confirmed the move in a press release.

"This was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever faced," Smith said in the release. "The truth of the matter is, at this stage of my life, I am ready for a new challenge. Indiana is a part of who I am and always will be."

Indiana made a late play to keep Smith, who was making around $200,000 in base salary with several built-in bonuses pushing his pay significantly higher. The prestige of the Arizona State program, however, proved a deciding factor.
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I like this but at the same I don't like it. I like it, because we can possibly take the league next year, I don't like it because I feel Tracey Smith was the kind of coach the Big Ten needed in addition to Darin Erstad and others to try and push for baseball in the Big Ten.

 
hskrfan4life said:
I like this but at the same I don't like it. I like it, because we can possibly take the league next year, I don't like it because I feel Tracey Smith was the kind of coach the Big Ten needed in addition to Darin Erstad and others to try and push for baseball in the Big Ten.
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Exactly--this move cuts both ways.

Don't forget that we'll get Maryland and Rutgers starting next year--the former, moreso than the later, has baseball prowess and should help the conference RPI. Plus, more B1G schools are improving facilities and throwing more money at baseball, thankfully.

Hopefully Indiana can find a quality replacement and keep the momentum going. Having IU as a sort of rival in the conference was good for everyone.

 
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