Matt Myers enters his third year as an assistant coach on Tom Slater[apos]s staff at Auburn. After joining the program as the pitching coach in 2005, Myers, who was a two-way player at Tennessee, will work with the team[apos]s defense, base running and bunting this season as he continues to build his already impressive resume, which includes a 2003 Big South Coach of the Year Award while leading the baseball program at UNC Asheville for four years.
[quote]I am excited about the energy Matt brings to the staff and his ability to positively effect the entire team,[quote] Slater said of Myers. [quote]He already has great experience as a head coach and this year we have widened his responsibilities to get him more involved with all aspects of the program.[quote]
In his first year in the dugout at Auburn, Myers[apos] excellence in working with the pitchers was realized as he helped the Auburn pitching staff to a team ERA of 3.89, the lowest by an AU staff since 1995. The team also posted 21 saves, two off of the school record of 23, also set in 1995, and surrendered just 169 walks over the course of the season, the fewest walks issued by a staff in the SEC.
Myers, who joined the AU staff on July 9, 2004, had a major hand in the development of pitchers Arnold Hughey, John Madden, Michael Nix and Josh Sullivan, all four of which were drafted in the first 13 rounds of the 2005 MLB Draft and none of whom had been previously drafted. Sullivan may have shown the biggest improvement of all of them, going from a pitcher who had thrown one inning in his career to a 5th-round pick of the Colorado Rockies, the highest drafted starting pitcher drafted out of Auburn since 2000.
Prior to his arrival on the Plains, Myers served as the head coach at UNC Asheville the previous four seasons, being named the 2003 Big South Conference Coach of the Year in the process.
One of the youngest Division I head coaches, Myers directed UNC Asheville to a school-record 27 overall wins and a tie for second in the Big South Conference in 2003 while earning conference coach of the year honors. Under his direction, the Bulldogs finished in the top half of the Big South Conference each of his final three seasons, including a school-record 13 conference wins in 2004. In his final season at UNCA, the Bulldogs posted two victories over ranked teams, including a 2-1 win at Florida State. His overall record in four seasons at UNCA was 88-125 and 40-44 in the Big South.
[quote]It is a tremendous privilege to be able to coach at Auburn University with Tom Slater,[quote] Myers said. [quote]Auburn has always been a place with great tradition and a championship-type atmosphere. I am excited be part of a first-class program, institution and community.[quote]
All total, Myers has coached 13 pitchers that have signed professional contracts, one First Team All-American and five Freshman All-Americans.
As a head coach, Myers coached seven pitchers that signed professional contracts and the 2004 Big South Conference Freshman of the Year. Under his direction, four UNC Asheville players earned Freshman All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball. During his time with the Bulldogs, his pitching staffs set five different school pitching records and finished in the top half of the league statistics each season.
Myers, 32, served as an assistant coach at UNC Asheville for a season before being named the school[apos]s sixth head coach in June 2000. A 1998 graduate of Tennessee, he spent two years on the Tennessee staff in 1998 and 1999.
As a player, Myers pitched two years at Tennessee, from 1996-97, posting a 13-4 career mark while helping the Volunteers to a pair of NCAA Regional appearances while also spending time in the UT outfield. His 13-4 (.765) record is fifth all-time in winning percentage at Tennessee. He also pitched a season at Cal State-Sacramento (1994) and Sacramento City College (1995).
Myers is married to the former Michelle Gillum of Celina, Ohio, and the couple has a son, Carson (3).