• E-Mail
• Print
• Larger
• Smaller

Published: Thursday, Jul. 01, 2010 / Updated: Thursday, Jul. 01, 2010 05:01 PM

Winthrop's Hudak fired as head baseball coach

Winthrop head baseball coach Joe Hudak has been relieved of his coaching duties today.

According to a press release from Winthrop, the coach can be reassigned within the athletic department under the direction of the athletic director. 

“We felt we needed a change in leadership,” Winthrop athletic director Tom Hickman said.  “We appreciate the years of service that coach Hudak gave to this program and the efforts he made to build Winthrop baseball into a respected and competitive program on a regional and national level. However, the program has not progressed in recent years as we would have liked, particularly when you take into account the outstanding facilities and support services that we have to offer prospective student-athletes.”

Hudak completed his 19th season at Winthrop after directing the Eagles to a 27-30 overall record. Winthrop finished the regular season in sixth place with a 13-14 record in the Big South Conference. 

During his tenure at Winthrop, Hudak compiled a record of 662-467-5 and led the Eagles to three Big South Conference championships and five NCAA Regional appearances. Over the past four years, Winthrop has compiled a record of 121-116.

Hudak’s 26-year head coaching record, which includes eight years at Geneva College, stands at 865-604-5.

Winthrop’s last Big South Conference baseball championship was achieved in 2005 and the last NCAA Regional appearance came in 2006. 

Hickman said a national search will begin immediately to find a new head baseball coach and will not be bound by any specific timetable in naming a replacement.

Read Friday's Herald for a complete story.