Two NCAA Berths Get Deal Through 2015…
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State Director of Athletics John Currie announced Friday that head baseball coach Brad Hill has agreed to a new five-year contract through the 2015 season.
Brad Hill guided KSU to the program's first ever NCAA appearances in 2009 & 2010. (Courtesy KSU)
The new five-year deal is retroactive to June 15, 2010, and extends to June 14, 2015. It replaces the four-year agreement Hill signed in 2009.
“The progress and success of our baseball program over the past several seasons is a testament to Coach Hill’s leadership and vision,” Currie said. “K-State is committed to delivering a championship program as evidenced by the continued investments in the facilities and program, which is a credit to our donors. Coach Hill and his staff share the values of Kansas State and have built our baseball program into a consistent contender by recruiting and developing student-athletes who, both academically and athletically, are dedicated to success. We are excited that he will be the head coach at K-State for many years to come.”
The contract calls for an average annual compensation of $235,000, which includes a retention incentive of $125,000 should Hill remain at K-State through the life of the agreement. Hill could also earn up to an additional $172,500 in annual performance incentives for various achievements, including appearances in the Big 12 Baseball Championship and the NCAA Tournament, as well as for winning regular-season and postseason championships.
Success by the baseball program under Hill hasn’t been limited to just the field. With his emphasis on success in the classroom, the Cats have produced 37 Academic All-Big 12 selections, including a school-record-tying seven in 2010, while five Wildcats have also earned Academic All-District honors. In addition, K-State’s Academic Progress Rate (APR) has steadily improved to reflect an outstanding four-year average of 942.
The 2010 season was Hill’s seventh in Manhattan after taking over a program that hadn’t had a winning conference record since 1990. Hill has guided Kansas State to five years of growth, topped last season by a school-best third-place finish in the Big 12, making Wildcat baseball one of the most steadily advancing programs in the Big 12 Conference.
“I am extremely appreciative to our administration for their support,” said Hill. “Our success is directly related to the great staff we have assembled here at K-State and I am thankful for the dedication of Sean McCann, Andy Sawyers, Scott Bird and Justin Tadtman. We are also grateful for the fans from the Manhattan community and K-State students who have helped turn Tointon Family Stadium into a real home-field advantage. We are excited to be a part of President Schulz and John Currie’s vision and commitment to producing a championship program.”
K-State continued its trend of improvement in 2010 after its breakout season in 2009. The Wildcats, who were predicted to finish as low as ninth in some Big 12 in preseason polls, finished the 2010 campaign third in the conference – their highest finish since the league’s inception in 1997.
After setting a school record with 43 wins in 2009, Kansas State silenced the critics with another great season, posting 37 wins in 2010, the second-most in program history. Of the 37 wins, 14 came against Big 12 opponents, tying the 2009 squad for the most in school history.
Kansas State also earned its second-straight at-large bid into the postseason when the Wildcats were selected as the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional.
The Wildcats led the Big 12 in hitting for the second-straight year after posting a .323 team average. They were also the only program in the league to have three individuals in the top 10 of the conference in hitting, including 2010 Big 12 Player of the Year and batting champion Nick Martini. Under Hill’s guidance, five other Wildcats joined Martini as All-Big 12 selections with Adam Muenster, Carter Jurica, Evan Marshall, Daniel Dellasega and Kyle Hunter gaining recognition.
Martini’s designation as the conference’s player of the year marked the third Big 12 specialty award won by Kansas State in the past two seasons. Hill and A.J. Morris were named Coach of the Year and Pitcher of the Year, respectively, in 2009.
Since Hill took over the reins of the K-State baseball program in the 2004 season, 24 Wildcats have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, while the incoming signing class set a record for draft selections as four were taken in the 2010 draft.
Hill was named the 20th head baseball coach in Kansas State history on June 3, 2003, after an ultra-successful nine-year stint as the head coach at Central Missouri State (now the University of Central Missouri) as he left CMSU as the winningest active coach in Division II that included a National Championship in 2003.
(K-State Release)