Texas A&M chooses Childress
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BY CURT McKEEVER / Lincoln Journal Star
The end of Rob Childress' successful eight-year reign as the Nebraska baseball team's pitching coach came about as suddenly Wednesday as the Huskers' exit from the College World Series.
Less than 24 hours after NU's 8-7 season-ending loss to Arizona State, the 36-year-old native Texan agreed to become the 19th head baseball coach at Texas A&M. Childress replaces Mark Johnson, who in 21 seasons won more games than any other Aggies coach but was fired last month after A&M finished ninth in the Big 12 Conference and failed to make the league tournament.
Before Nebraska's game Tuesday, A&M athletic director Bill Byrne set the wheels in motion with a call to his Nebraska counterpart, Steve Pederson, asking for permission to speak with Childress once NU's season had ended.
By Wednesday afternoon, Childress was an Aggie. He'll officially be introduced as one today at a news conference in College Station, Texas. Childress said he couldn't comment until today.
"It was a no-decision (after he was offered the job), even with his love of Nebraska," said Mike Anderson, NU's third-year coach. "He told me the hardest part was going to be leaving me. We've built a great relationship."
The news took neither Anderson nor Pederson by surprise. Pederson, in fact, said he and Childress had talked often in the past couple of years about Childress' desire to be a head coach.
"The only thing I've encouraged him to do is wait for the right opportunity," Pederson said. "It's a real good job for Rob, and he'll do a great job. We wish him luck."
Childress came to Nebraska with former coach Dave Van Horn from Northwestern (La.) State before the 1997 season and quickly became an instrumental part in one of the biggest turnarounds in Nebraska athletics history. In 1998, two years after they finished next-to-last in the Big 12, the Huskers began a five-year NCAA Tournament run that included their first two trips to the College World Series.
Van Horn left for his alma mater, Arkansas, following the second of those seasons in 2002. On the same day, Byrne, then the A.D. at Nebraska, named Mike Anderson head coach and Childress associate head coach. At the time, Byrne said he wished he could have named both to the No. 1 position.
Now, after a three-year wait, he's accomplished that goal.
"Rob fits the profile I prefer here at Texas A&M, having Texas roots," Byrne said Wednesday. "His wife, Amanda, is an Aggie, Class of '92, and he has strong recruiting contacts in our state. Rob brings outstanding coaching credentials that are essential to success, as well as the type of character qualities and values that are so important at Texas A&M."
This past season, Childress oversaw a pitching staff that finished No. 2 nationally with a 2.69 ERA. Three of his pitchers — Brian Duensing (third round), Zach Kroenke (fifth) and Brett Jensen (23rd) — were taken in the Major League Baseball First-Year Players Draft. Childress also developed right-handed sophomore Joba Chamberlain and right-handed freshman Johnny Dorn into first-team All-Big 12 picks.
"He is an amazing coach and person, and we wish him nothing but the best at A&M," said Chamberlain, the league's Newcomer Pitcher of the Year. "We are still Nebraska, and we are going to have a great staff and team coming back, and still do the things we need to do to win games. I am confident that we are going to have a great coach come in and help us try build off of the success of this year."
Among the head coaches linked to the search before Wednesday's announcement were Van Horn, Cal State Fullerton's George Horton, Rice's Wayne Graham, Georgia Tech's Danny Hall, South Carolina's Ray Tanner and Clemson's Jack Leggett. Arkansas would not allow Byrne to talk with Van Horn, who had said he wasn't interested, and of the others, all but Leggett had removed their names from consideration.
Johnson was paid a base annual salary of $140,000, but his total package was considerably higher. At Nebraska, Childress had an annual salary of $82,244, but Pederson said his package was in the $135,000 range.
Childress, from Gilmer, Texas, has been a head coach in the collegiate ranks just one season — in 1994 at Texarkana College, where he also was an assistant in 1991-92. His other stop before Nebraska and Northwestern State was at his alma mater, Northwood University, in 1993.
At Northwood, Childress was a two-time all-conference pitcher and twice was named the school's Academic Athlete of the Year.
Anderson, meanwhile, will be filling his second full-time assistant's position in three years. After Van Horn left in 2002, he hired former NU catcher Andy Sawyers.
"First and foremost, I'm extremely happy for Rob. But I'm not upset," Anderson said. "You plan for success and we're in great shape. It's another opportunity. We've had changes in the program in the past. ... We're going to hire a Nebraska-style person.
"I'm going to be patient, because I want to make the right decision. But (the players) know we're going to get a quality man."
Said Pederson, "I have tremendous confidence in Mike to do whatever next step needs to be taken. He'll have my full support to do what it takes to get the right person here."
Reach Curt McKeever at 473-7441 or cmckeever@journalstar.com.
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