LSU Baseball Coach Paul Mainieri Press Conference

2009 National Coach of the Year (ABCA, Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, Rivals.com)
2009 Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year
2008 National Coach of the Year (Rivals.com, CollegeBaseballInsider.com)

Career Record (27 seasons): 998-554-7 (.643)
LSU Record (three seasons): 134-62-2 (.682)

LSU Baseball under Paul Mainieri

• NCAA National Champions – 2009
• College World Series Appearances – 2008, 2009
• Southeastern Conference Champions – 2009
• SEC Tournament Champions – 2008, 2009
• SEC Western Division Champions – 2008, 2009

When Paul Mainieri was hired as LSU’s baseball coach in June 2006, he expressed a clear vision for the future of the Fighting Tiger program.

“Make no mistake about it,” he said. “The goal is to return LSU to the pinnacle position in college baseball. I have all the confidence in the world that we can do that here.”

Three years later, LSU does indeed occupy the pinnacle position in college baseball as the 2009 NCAA National Champions. Mainieri directed the ’09 Tigers to the College World Series title, posting a 56-17 overall record, including a 10-1 mark in NCAA Tournament competition.

The Tigers defeated Texas in the CWS Championship Finals to win the national title, LSU’s sixth CWS championship and its first since 2000. Mainieri also guided his squad to the 2009 Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

The 2009 season was a magnificent year that began with LSU ranked No. 1 in the polls and ended with the Tigers still occupying college baseball’s summit.

LSU won its first Southeastern Conference regular-season title since 2003, posting a 20-10 SEC mark. The Tigers then became the first league school since Alabama in 2002-03 to win consecutive SEC Tournament titles.

LSU played host to the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, where the Tigers defeated Southern, Baylor and Minnesota to set up a Super Regional matchup versus Rice in Alex Box Stadium. LSU swept two games from the Owls, earning a berth to the CWS for the second straight season and for the 15th time in school history.

The Tigers defeated Virginia in their CWS opener and recorded two wins over Arkansas to advance to the CWS Championship Finals versus Texas. Trailing 6-4 in the ninth inning of Game 1, the Tigers staged a dramatic two-run rally and eventually prevailed, 7-6, in 11 innings. The Longhorns posted a 5-1 win in Game 2; however, LSU overwhelmed UT, 11-4, in the deciding game to claim the NCAA championship trophy.

LSU in 2009 led the nation in total attendance for the 14th straight season, as the Tigers performed in the New Alex Box Stadium. LSU drew an NCAA record 403,056 fans to the state-of-the-art facility, an average of 9,596 per contest.

Mainieri’s commitment to academic excellence was illustrated by the Tigers’ performance in the classroom as 13 LSU players received 2009 SEC Academic Honor Roll recognition.

Six LSU players were selected in the 2009 Major League Baseball Draft, including four in the first five rounds. Outfielder Jared Mitchell was the first-round choice of the Chicago White Sox, marking the first time LSU produced a first-round selection since 2003.

Also among the drafted players was Louis Coleman, a 2009 First-Team all-American and the SEC Pitcher of the Year chosen in the fifth round by the Kansas City Royals.

Mainieri first guided LSU back into prominence in 2008 as the Tigers advanced to the College World Series, earning a berth to Omaha for the first time since 2004.

Mainieri, named 2008 National Coach of the Year by Rivals.com and by CollegeBaseballInsider.com, directed the Tigers to a 49-19-1 record. LSU, which was predicted to finish fifth in the SEC Western Division in the preseason league coaches’ poll, won 26 of its final 29 games during a remarkable late-season surge.

Mainieri’s promise to LSU fans to attract the nation’s best players had been fulfilled during his staff’s first recruiting season, as Collegiate Baseball magazine rated the Tigers’ 2007 class No. 1 in the country. The recruiting class -- which included nine players selected in the Major League Baseball Draft -- combined with LSU’s returning players to form an outstanding 2008 club.

With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the ’08 LSU club was 23-16-1 overall and in 11th place in the overall SEC standings with a 6-11-1 record; however, the Tigers posted a conference-record 23-game win streak that saw LSU claim the SEC Western Division title, the SEC Tournament championship and the NCAA Baton Rouge Regional championship.

LSU’s 23-game surge ended with a loss to UC Irvine in Game 1 of the NCAA Baton Rouge Super Regional, but the Tigers won the next two games over the Anteaters to advance to the College World Series for the 14th time in school history and for the first time since 2004. LSU placed fifth in Omaha with a 1-2 record, marking the Tigers’ first Top 5 CWS finish since the 2000 squad claimed the national title.

Mainieri’s emphasis on academic achievement produced outstanding results in the classroom. Fourteen LSU baseball players – the most in the program’s history – were named to the 2008 Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll. The previous high for the LSU squad was 12 players, established in 2004 and in 2005.

Seven LSU players were selected in the 2008 Major League Baseball first-year player draft, representing the most since eight Tigers were taken in the 2001 draft.

The 2008 team’s cumulative GPA for the spring semester was 2.89, the highest figure in LSU Baseball history, and the cumulative GPA for the entire 2007-08 academic year was 2.83, also the highest ever recorded by the baseball program.

In addition, the Tigers logged 345 hours of community service work, the most by any of the LSU men’s sports programs during the 2007-08 academic year. Mainieri has established an active community service function within the baseball program, as the Tigers regularly visit hospitals and schools in the Baton Rouge area. The team also participates in the ALS Walk -- promoting awareness of the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s Disease -- and in the Buddy Walk, which is designed to encourage acceptance and inclusion of people with Down Syndrome.

It is Mainieri’s goal to finish his collegiate baseball career in the same place it began 34 years ago. He earned a letter in 1976 as a freshman outfielder at LSU, where he also met his future wife, Karen, then a Fighting Tiger cheerleader. He completed his playing career at the University of New Orleans, and, after enjoying great success as a head coach at St. Thomas (Fla.) University, the Air Force Academy and Notre Dame, Mainieri returned to Baton Rouge for the 2007 season eager to enhance the Fighting Tigers’ storied tradition.

Mainieri and his staff laid the foundation for the future of the LSU program during the ‘07 season, as the Tigers posted a 29-26-1 overall mark. Despite its inexperience -- the Tigers often featured four true freshmen in the batting order -- LSU was in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid through the final weekend of the regular season.

The ‘07 Tigers won four SEC series over Top 25 teams, as LSU posted series victories over No. 3 Arkansas, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 15 Mississippi State (a 2007 CWS participant) and No. 25 Alabama.

LSU was led by junior right-hander Jared Bradford, a second-team All-SEC selection who posted either a win or a save in 10 of the Tigers’ 12 SEC victories. Outfielder Blake Dean and catcher Sean Ochinko each received Freshman All-SEC recognition for their outstanding rookie seasons.

LSU in 2007 led the nation in total attendance for the 12th straight season -- the final attendance figure was 256,537, an average of 7,329 per game.

Mainieri established an unparalleled standard of excellence during his tenure at Notre Dame (1995-2006), leading his teams to 11 40-win seasons, nine conference titles, nine NCAA Regional appearances and a berth in the 2002 College World Series, marking the school’s first CWS trip since 1957.

Mainieri led to Notre Dame to an NCAA Regional in every season from 1999-2006, making the Irish one of 10 teams to appear in every NCAA Tournament in that eight-year span – the others were Miami, Texas, Rice, Cal State Fullerton, Florida State, Stanford, Clemson, Tulane and Oral Roberts. Notre Dame also joined six other schools (LSU, Miami, Rice, South Carolina, Stanford and Texas) as the only programs to reach an NCAA Regional final every season from 2000-05.

Fifty-nine of Mainieri’s Notre Dame players were drafted or signed free-agent contracts, and 19 were selected in the first 10 rounds of the Major League draft. His Irish players also combined for 14 All-America and 10 Academic All-America seasons.

Mainieri's Notre Dame teams combined for a 100-percent graduation rate (71 of 71) among players who completed their eligibility. Twelve players who signed professionally after their junior year returned to Notre Dame to complete their degree requirements.
 
Notre Dame was the only Division I baseball program to produce Academic All-Americans each year from 2000-04, with two honored every season from 2000-03. The 2006 squad combined for an impressive 3.28 team GPA during the spring semester.

Notre Dame was one of just four schools from 1998-2001 that produced two pitchers - Brad Lidge ('98, Houston Astros) and Aaron Heilman (`02, New York Mets) - who were drafted in the first round, with both players advancing to the Major Leagues. Mainieri and his staff consistently have molded players into top prospects, as Lidge was just a 42nd-round pick out of high school while Heilman was a 54th-round pick.
 
Seven of Mainieri's former Notre Dame players have reached the Major League level, including six pitchers – Brad Lidge (Astros/Phillies), Aaron Heilman (Mets/Cubs), Jeff Samardzija (Cubs), Jeff Manship (Twins), John Axford (Brewers) and Christian Parker (Yankees). Former Irish infielder Matt Macri (Twins) made his big league debut in 2008.

Eight other recent Irish players developed into high draft picks despite going undrafted as prep players: pitchers Tim Kalita (7th round in '99), Danny Tamayo (10th round, '01), J.P. Gagne (13th round, '03) and Jeff Samardzija (5th round, '06), shortstop Alec Porzel (13th round, '01), centerfielder Steve Stanley (2nd round, '02), first baseman Craig Cooper (7th round, '06), and pitcher Kyle Weiland (3rd round in 2008).
 
In the Mainieri era, nine of 13 Irish players who were drafted out of high school went on to be drafted in a higher round at Notre Dame while 24 who were undrafted as prep players went on to be drafted as members of the Irish program.
 
The 12 years of the Mainieri era at Notre Dame include 83 noteworthy players who have gone on to distinguish themselves after their Irish careers. Among that group are: three pitchers who have reached the Major Leagues; 16 other current professional players (plus 29 former pro players); nine lawyers/current law-school students; five medical/dental-school students; seven others who have received a master's degree including two MBAs); three engineers; five involved in medical sales; 11 college/high school coaches; three teachers; three commodities brokers; a sports agent; a contractor; and a town mayor - plus others who are involved in areas such as youth services, accounting, sales, athletic administration, technology, advertising, graphic design, banking and consulting.
 
In 12 seasons of Big East Conference play, the Irish won more league games (192-67-2, .740) than any other team in the conference. Mainieri owns the top career Big East winning percentage (.740) in the history of the league and four of his teams posted 20-plus wins in Big East play.
 
Mainieri was honored in 2005 with a 25-year coaching certificate at the American Baseball Coaches Association convention and was voted to the position of the ABCA's chair of the Division I Baseball Coaches – which he held for three years. He was also a member of the ABCA executive committee.
 
Mainieri served on the NCAA Division I Baseball Issues Committee, and he was a member of the NCAA Academic Enhancement Working Group.
 
Mainieri established in 2002 the Opening Night Dinner at Notre Dame, an event that he continues to hold each year at LSU. The event, now known as the First Pitch Banquet, has featured an impressive lineup of keynote speakers: Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda, Chicago Cubs GM Jim Hendry, award-winning author and lifelong baseball fan John Grisham, legendary baseball pitcher Roger Clemens and Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis.
 
A former Chicago White Sox farmhand, Mainieri was the first civilian baseball coach at Air Force and averaged 26 wins in six seasons (1989-'94) for a program that averaged just 15 wins in the six previous years. He is the only Air Force baseball coach to post six straight 20-win seasons and his 1994 squad led the nation in hitting (.360), slugging (.623) and triples (0.76 per game).

Mainieri guided the 1993 Air Force team to its first winning season in nearly a decade (28-22), with a school-record 21 wins at home. He coached three All-Americans, two Freshman All-Americans and two Academic All-Americans with the Falcons.
 
Mainieri coached six seasons at St. Thomas (Fla.) University where - in 1983 at the age of 24 - he took over a program that had yet to post a winning season. Four of Mainieri’s teams at St. Thomas were ranked in the NCAA Division II Top 10 during the season. The 1984 Sunshine State Conference Coach of the Year saw his St. Thomas teams average 30 wins per season (after an average of just 18 wins in the six previous years).

Fifteen of Mainieri's St. Thomas players entered pro baseball, with Joe Klink, Dane Johnson and Dan Rohrmeier each going on to appear on Major League rosters. Klink played with the 1987 Minnesota Twins and 1989 Oakland A's World Series championship teams while also pitching with the Florida Marlins in 1994.
 
Mainieri's coaching career began at his alma mater, Columbus High School in Miami, where he served as assistant baseball and football coach for three years before taking over at St. Thomas in the fall of 1982. He also spent the final three years at St. Thomas as director of athletics.
 
A four-year letterwinner in college, Mainieri played one season at LSU, one season for his father, legendary JUCO coach Demie Mainieri, at Miami-Dade North Community College, and two seasons at the University of New Orleans. The second baseman helped the Privateers win two Sun Belt Conference titles and advance to the 1979 NCAA Tournament during his senior season.
 
After completing his undergraduate degree requirements at Florida International (1980), Mainieri played two minor-league seasons before earning a master's in sports administration from St. Thomas in 1982.
 
Born August 29, 1957, in Morgantown, W.Va., Mainieri and wife Karen have four children: Nicholas (25), Alexandra (24), Samantha (23) and Thomas (15).

The Paul Mainieri File
Pronunciation: Muh-NAIR-ee

Career Record: 998-554-7 (.643, 27 seasons)
At LSU: 134-62-2 (.682, three seasons)
At Notre Dame: 533-213-3 (.714, 12 seasons)
At Air Force: 152-158 (.490, six seasons)
At St. Thomas: 179-121-2 (.598, six seasons)

Personal
Birthdate: August 29, 1957
Hometown: Miami, Florida

Education
1980 - B.S. in physical education from Florida International University
1982 - M.S. in sports administration from St. Thomas (Fla.) Univ.

Family
Married to the former Karen Fejes of New Orleans, La.
Children: Nicholas (25), Alexandra (24), Samantha (23) and Thomas (15)

Mainieri’s Coaching Record

Mainieri's Mentors
 
Paul Mainieri grew up around the game of baseball on a daily basis and, as the son of a Hall of Fame coach, had the good fortune to be exposed to several outstanding coaches.
 
Mainieri cites three primary influences in his development as a coach, headed by his father Demie Mainieri, who coached Miami-Dade North Community College to 1,018 wins and a national title in his 30-year career.
 
"My father laid the foundation for identifying the correct reasons to enter into the coaching profession," says Mainieri.
 
"Despite his success that he may have encountered, my father emphasized to me that a coach was a teacher first and foremost. Watching how he made such a positive impact on young people's lives was the greatest factor for me wanting to follow in his footsteps."
 
Mainieri spent his final two seasons as an infielder at the University of New Orleans, where he had the good fortune of playing for UNO athletic director Ron Maestri. "Coach Maestri showed me how a high intensity level and work ethic can translate into success," recalls Mainieri, whose 2002 squad opened at the Ron Maestri/UNO Classic.

"He used to do the little things-like drag the field and go into the community to raise support - and his charisma resulted in the construction of a beautiful ballpark for our team," says Mainieri.

"He pushed his team hard but would do anything for his players, and his players were very loyal to him. Coach Maestri also relayed to me the importance of recruiting the best athletes - meaning shortstops - and we had six or seven high school shortstops in our everyday lineup."

During his early days in coaching, Mainieri had the chance to meet former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda and has maintained a friendship with one of the game's greatest ambassadors.

"Tommy has advised me in so many areas, it's hard to specify any areas of emphasis," says Mainieri of Lasorda, who spoke at the Notre Dame pep rally prior to the 2001 Tennessee football game and served as the keynote speaker at the Notre Dame baseball team's "Opening Night Dinner" on Feb. 18, 2002. "I think from him I really realized how important it is to bring joy to the ballpark every day. The players definitely follow your lead as the coach and the enthusiasm you show for your job will rub off on them."
 
Mainieri readily credits his success to the guidance of those three Hall of Famers. "To this day, I still regularly call each of these men to ask for their advice," he says. "I think it's safe to say I've learned from the best!"

Mainieri’s Proteges

Paul Mainieri’s influence extends throughout the game of baseball, as six of his former assistant coaches and six of his former players presently work as coaches or administrators:

Former Assistant Coaches
Brian O’Connor, Head Coach, Virginia
David Grewe, former Head Coach, Michigan State (now associate head coach at LSU)
Terry Rooney, Head Coach, Central Florida
Cliff Godwin, Asst. Coach, Central Florida
Cory Mee, Head Coach, Toledo
Dave Schrage, Head Coach, Notre Dame
Eric Campbell, General Manager, Team USA
Al Avila, Asst. General Manager, Detroit Tigers

Former Players
Marty Smith, Head Coach, Central Florida CC
Rick Hitt, Head Coach, South Florida CC
John Corbin, Asst. Coach, Eastern Kentucky, Bradley University
J.J. Brock, Asst. Coach, Toledo, Georgetown University
Javi Sanchez, Asst. Coach, LSU
Will Davis, Asst. Coach, LSU
Eddie Smith, Asst. Coach, Virginia

What They've Said About Paul Mainieri

“As a player he was a full-throttle guy. He was a total overachiever who did everything he could to help you win ball games. He maximized his talent to the highest level and does that as a coach as well. The Tigers will play the game the right way. He has no tolerance for lack of effort. His team will play the game the way LSU fans like to see it played.”
- Jim Hendry, Chicago Cubs general manager

"Coach Mainieri knows the game but he knows his players even better. He knows how to manage players extremely well - knowing who he has to push harder and who he needs to give space, always getting the best out of his players. His door was always open and he was willing to listen to whatever was on your mind - all while treating everyone with the respect they deserved and caring about the person and his life, not just the player.”
- Aaron Heilman, Chicago Cubs reliever; Notre Dame pitcher (1998-2001)

“When he (Mainieri) called me and asked me for advice, I told him that there might not be a job with more pressure in the country. The first thing he said is ‘I’m not afraid of the job.’ That’s huge and that tells me he’s ready for the challenge.”
- Ron Maestri, New Orleans Zephyrs executive director and Mainieri’s coach at the University of New Orleans