Sept. 20, 2002
Poughkeepsie, NY - Marist College Director of Athletics, Tim Murray, announced this afternoon that head Marist baseball coach, John Szefc, has resigned to become the top assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
"John has brought Marist College baseball into the national spotlight and I am very sorry to see him leave," said Murray. "I want to thank him for his passion to our baseball program and our college. John is a winner and I wish him the best of success at Lafayette."
Szefc, who took over the program prior to the 1996 season, and in his seven seasons, led Marist to four NCAA Baseball Tournaments. The Red Foxes, who have made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, have won an NCAA game in each of those tournaments, advancing into the winners bracket during the 2002 Regional in Lincoln, NE.
"This was a very difficult decision for me to make at this time," said Szefc. "I will miss the players and staff at Marist, and wish the entire Red Fox athletic department much success in the coming years."
During his tenure with the Red Foxes, Szefc posted a 212-137-1 record, including a school-record 41 wins this past spring. He has led Marist to three straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament titles, including the regular season title in 2002. Szefc took Marist to its first baseball title in 1997, just his second year as the head coach.
Szefc's players have also seen their baseball career's extend beyond their years at Marist College. During his time at Marist, nine players have been drafted, including five in the last two years. Four former Szefc coached Marist players are currently on minor league rosters throughout baseball. In the past two years, Red Foxes have been picked in the 10th and 11th rounds of the MLB Draft.
In 2000, the Red Foxes played in the NCAA Regional hosted by UL-Lafayette, a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Ragin' Cajuns have qualified for five of the last six NCAA Tournaments, finishing third in the 2000 College World Series. In 2002, UL-Lafayette finished the year 17th in the nation, and 15th in the country in attendance, after placing second in the LSU Regional of the NCAA Tournament.
"I want to thank Tim [Murray] and Marist for giving me the opportunity at such a young age to be a head coach," Szefc stated.
