University of Richmond Athletics
Richmond Names Mark McQueen Associate Head Baseball Coach
06/30/2006 | Baseball
June 30, 2006
The McQueen File
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Introductory press conference with Athletic Director Jim Miller, Head Coach Ron Atkins and new Associate Head Coach Mark McQueen
Associate Baseball Head Coach Press Conference
UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - Mark McQueen, a former Richmond Baseball assistant coach from 1989-2000, has been named the Spiders' Associate Head Coach school officials announced Friday. Earlier this month, Richmond's current head coach Ron Atkins announced his retirement effective following the 2007 season when McQueen will assume the role of Spider Baseball Head Coach.
"It is a great honor to be named Associate Head Baseball Coach at the University of Richmond," McQueen said. "I am looking forward to working with Coach Atkins throughout the following season and then to be named Head Coach following the 2007 season. My wife, children and I are excited about the opportunity of returning to the Spider Athletic family."
McQueen returns to Richmond after spending the previous six seasons (2001-06) as the pitching coach at VCU. The 2003 Collegiate Baseball National Pitching Coach of the Year has helped the Rams to an overall mark of 265-151 in six seasons, including four NCAA Tournament appearances. His 2003 pitching staff sported a national-best 2.54 ERA while leading the Rams to a 46-13 mark, a Colonial Athletic Association Championship and berth in the NCAA Tournament.
A total of eight pitchers were drafted from VCU during his six seasons with the Rams, including current Chicago Cub hurler Sean Marshall. In all, a total of 23 pitchers under McQueen's direction have been selected by Major League teams, including 15 during his 12 seasons at Richmond.
"We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of support for Mark," Deputy Athletics Director David Walsh said after leading the national search. "The support came from all facets of the baseball community - current coaches and players, players he has coached who are now in the major leagues, scouts and administrators. I think we had a very impressive candidate pool for this position, but Mark's name kept rising to the top."
McQueen, a native of Ankeny, Iowa, along with Atkins, helped lead the Spiders to an overall mark of 389-248 in his 12 seasons with Richmond from 1989-2000. In those 12 seasons McQueen helped take the Spiders to the Colonial Athletic Association title game seven times, won the Conference Championship twice and earned four NCAA Tournament berths.
A number of individual performances during McQueen's Richmond tenure still rank among the Spiders' all-time Top-10 lists, including Sean Gavaghan's (1989-92) all-time lead in career wins with 33. Two other Spiders under McQueen's tutelage still rank among the all-time Top-5 in career wins, including Mike Smith's (1997-2000) 31 victories and Bobby St. Pierre's (1993-95) 28 wins. Smith (337), Gavaghan (291) and St. Pierre (282) all rank behind former Spider Tim Stauffer's total of 362 in the Top-5 for all-time career strikeouts. Five of McQueen's former Spider pitchers rank tied among the Top-3 in single-season wins with 11, including St. Pierre's 11-1 (.917) mark from 1994 which is also second all-time on Richmond's single-season winning percentage list.
"On the field, his technical expertise as a pitching coach is outstanding," Walsh said. "His record and the success of his pitchers speaks for itself, but we also believe he has learned what it takes to be a head coach - both in the dugout managing a game and off the field handling his players."
McQueen is a 1984 graduate of Sam Houston State where he compiled a mark of 13-5 in two seasons with the Bearkats, including a perfect 7-0 mark as a senior. Prior to his career at Sam Houston State, McQueen attended Iowa Western Community College for two years and competed in the 1980 Junior College World Series.
"Mark is one of the up-and-coming coaches in college baseball," Atkins said. "I think the program will be in good hands in the future. Having spent 12 years with him, I know he will do things the right way and uphold the tradition brought before us by the great coaches here at Richmond."
After receiving a Business Administration degree from Sam Houston State, McQueen signed with the Detroit Tigers organization and pitched one season for the Tri-City Triplets of the Northwest League. After being forced out of baseball due to an elbow injury, McQueen started his coaching career at Iowa State as an assistant coach. McQueen spent one season on the Cyclones' staff in 1988, going 27-31 in Ames, Iowa. He also worked two years at the Cyclone Midwest Baseball School as the Assistant Director of Operations and pitching instructor.
"He is a great fit for Richmond," Walsh added. "We welcome Mark and his family back to Richmond."
McQueen and his wife, Michelle, reside in Richmond and have two children, Travis and Tara.
