RSS
Home
Buckley returns to The Beach
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Long Beach State Athletics announced yesterday that renowned former pitching coach Troy Buckley had left his post with the Pittsburgh Pirates to return to the Dirtbag program. Buckley previously served as the Dirtbag pitching coach for six seasons before accepting the position of minor league pitching coordinator for the Pirates organization in late 2007.
“Obviously, we’re thrilled to have Troy back with the program. He’s our best recruit of the year,” head coach Mike Weathers said in a press release. “I know this was a difficult decision for him, because he was really enjoying his position with the Pirates. However, I think for his family’s sake and for his future that Long Beach State was the right fit for him.”
Buckley will take over for the coach that became his successor in 2007, former Dirtbag Jon “Doc” Strauss, who signed on to be the pitching coach at Pepperdine earlier this month. The surprise move opened the door for Buckley to come back to a position he thrived in as well as work with a few remaining arms he recruited.
The move that athletic director Vic Cegles called “a tremendous coup” couldn’t have come at a better time. The 2009 Dirtbag pitching staff struggled, posting a 5.18 ERA — a far cry from the 3.75 ERA that was the highest mark from a Dirtbag pitching staff in the Buckley Era. Long Beach State also failed to make the postseason for the first time since 2006 this year, and was the first team in the 20-year Dirtbag era to finish the season under .500 (25-29).
Touted as one of the top collegiate pitching coaches in the nation, Buckley has seen seven of his former Long Beach pitchers reach the major leagues. LBSU produced three straight Big West Pitchers of the year from 2002-2004 under the tuteledge of Buckley, one of which was current Los Angeles Angels’ right-hander Jered Weaver. Buckley’s pitching staffs annually produced some of the lowest ERAs in the nation.
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
