MOBILE, Ala. — South Alabama baseball coach Steve Kittrell confirmed Wednesday that he will retire following the 2011 season, the final year of his contract. The Steve Kittrell retirement sets in motion a search for a successor who is expected to join the staff for 2011 as a coach-in-waiting.
Kittrell said he and his wife, Carol, had been discussing retirement for roughly the past four years. Explaining the decision, he said he was “tired of going back to his motel room alone after a 3-2 loss.”
A Wide-Open Search
Athletic director Joel Erdmann, who served as an assistant under Kittrell in the mid-1990s, will lead the search and described it as wide open.
“It’s a marquee job in the sport of college baseball, there’s going to be some heads turned, and there are heads turned,” Erdmann said. “We’re going to have different types of coaches from various backgrounds that are going to take a run at this thing.”
South Alabama hopes to name Kittrell’s successor in time for that coach to spend the 2011 season as an assistant on Kittrell’s staff. The arrangement is intended to keep the program’s recruiting on track.
“We need to have the ability to get into homes soon and clarify the situation and say, ‘Next year, your son will be playing for me,'” Erdmann said.
Job Requirements
Kittrell’s salary is $125,000, and the new coach’s salary is expected to be comparable. Candidates will be required to hold a college degree, a requirement that will remove some potential applicants from consideration.
Names Mentioned
Several former South Alabama players have been mentioned as possible candidates. Among them are former major leaguers Mike Mordecai and Turner Ward, though neither holds a degree from South Alabama.
Tony David, a former USA player who is the associate head coach at Samford, has also been mentioned. Kittrell said Scot Sealy should be considered and added that other former Jaguars players deserve a look as well.
The Jaguars compete in the Sun Belt Conference and play their home games at Stanky Field on the South Alabama campus.
Kittrell’s Career at South Alabama
Kittrell, who turns 62 in November, is entering his 28th season leading the South Alabama program. His record at USA stands at 1,022-611-1, and he is 1,055-630-1 overall as a head coach.
His Jaguars teams have made 18 NCAA tournament appearances and won 10 Sun Belt championships. More than 100 of his former players have signed professional contracts, and 17 have reached the major leagues.
