Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
New coaches find success in first year
6/21/2019 11:00:00 AM | General
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Finding new head coaches hasn't been something Chris Massaro has had to do often in his 15 years as Middle Tennessee's director of athletics.
Currently, seven of the Blue Raiders' 12 head men and women have been at the university at least eight years, and five have a dozen or more years under their belt, headlined by the 55-year tenure of legendary track and field and cross country coach Dean Hayes.
The 2018-19 school year presented a bit of a challenge for Massaro, though. He was tasked at finding four new head coaches to lead his women's tennis, men's golf, men's basketball and baseball teams.
While the mission was no easy one to accomplish, the early returns signify Massaro may have hit on all four coaches. All showed a large amount of promise, with Mark McEntire leading the way by capturing a Conference USA title for the men's golf program, their second in a row.
"They all inherited different circumstances, so it was really fun to watch and help counsel them through their first year," Massaro said. "They're all very different, but they're all very maniacal about their recruiting and have a very clear vision of what they want their programs to be. That's what you look for in your interviews, and I'm very excited to see what unfolds with all of those programs."
Women's Tennis
Maybe the toughest coaching job for the newcomers was the one Tayo Bailey-Duvall took on with the women's tennis team.
The Blue Raiders returned almost every member from their 2018 team that advanced to the C-USA semifinals, but Bailey-Duvall, who came to MT after six years at her alma mater Butler, wasn't hired to replace former coach Charlie Ramsay until August. With all but one of her student-athletes natives of Europe or South Africa, she didn't get a chance to meet them face-to-face until the fall semester was starting.
"She was the last one hired, so it was a little more difficult for her," Massaro said. "She really didn't get a chance to meet her team until the fall. That's a tough thing to do for a new coach."
One thing Bailey-Duvall didn't have to worry about when she came to Murfreesboro was her student-athletes' performance in the classroom.
The women maintained a 3.9 team GPA in the spring semester, and senior Costanza Magazzini was named to the C-USA All-Academic team while earning her third C-USA Academic Medal.
"They had a new coach come in, and the student-athletes still maintained a team 3.9 GPA," Massaro said. "I tip my cap to them. That's a real joy to see."
On the court, the Blue Raiders didn't get off to a strong start with a 1-6 record through seven dual matches, but improvements were brewing.
They righted the ship from there, finishing 9-6 in their final 15 regular-season matches and advancing to the C-USA quarterfinals after a 4-1 victory over LA Tech in the opening round.
While the talent and leadership of seniors Luisa Zirilli, Kim Kermet and Magazzini will be missed heading into the 2019-20 season, four sensational incoming freshmen should keep the ball rolling in the right direction in Bailey-Duvall's second year.
Men's Golf
The most-successful Middle Tennessee team with a new leader was men's golf under coach Mark McEntire, who was hired in July after spending 13 years at College of Charleston.
Not much was expected out of the Blue Raiders when former coach Brennan Webb took two of the team's best players plus most of MT's heralded recruiting class with him to the University of Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee struggled through the fall semester, getting bounced from one tournament for not having an adequate roster and having to deal with an injury to star senior Marcus Byrd.
Byrd came back for the spring semester, though, and with the addition of Vanderbilt sophomore transfer Cooper Sears, things started to look up.
The Blue Raiders kept building to the Conference USA Championships, getting a great spring from junior Tanner Owens and others, and used the momentum to shock the field with a C-USA title, their second in a row.
"It really was a remarkable feat," Massaro said. "It's probably the golf story of the year because of how they were able to overcome a tough fall and have a great spring. I'm really happy for that team with how much they had to go through."
With a strong four-member recruiting class that includes three prep standouts from Tennessee, McEntire's golfers could be primed for continued success. They won't shock anyone this time around, though.
Baseball
There was one clear goal for head coach Jim Toman, the former Liberty head man, when he took over the MT baseball team in June of 2018. He had to make the Blue Raiders competitive again in a tough C-USA.
While the team finished with just an 18-37 overall record, 11-19 in league play, the Raiders were thick in the conference tournament race heading into the final week of the regular season before finishing 2 ½ games back.
"Jim really didn't get a chance to meet his team until the fall … but I thought the guys really played hard in his first season," Massaro said. "We were right in the race to make the tournament until the last weekend, and while it's disappointing not making the tournament, you can see the wheels turning for the future."
The clear improvement in Toman's first season came on the mound.
Middle Tennessee's 6.47 team ERA in 2018 was one of the worst in the nation, as were its 330 walks given up and 1.30:1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Toman and pitching coach Kyle Bunn were able to help improve all of those numbers this season, to a 4.87 ERA, 174 walks and 2.45:1 strikeouts-to-walk.
Next season, the Blue Raiders will get seven of the nine pitchers back who threw double-digit appearances in 2019, including weekend starters Peyton Wigginton and Zach Keenan. If they can replicate their success on the mound, look for more wins to come in Toman's second year.
Men's Basketball
The exit of 16-year head coach Kermit Davis left Middle Tennessee's men's basketball program in a tough spot. It appears new leader Nick McDevitt was the right man to bring the Raiders through the change, though.
The first season in Murfreesboro didn't start great for McDevitt, who spent five years as the head man at his alma mater UNC Asheville before leaving for Middle Tennessee in March of 2018.
A little over halfway through the campaign, the Blue Raiders were riding a 13-game losing streak and boasted just a 3-14 record.
Something clicked, though, as the men in blue went 8-6 over the next 14 games to finish the regular season with an 8-10 record in C-USA play.
"How they held it together through a rough circumstance in a 13-game losing streak and to be playing how we were at the end of the year, that makes me very optimistic for tremendous improvement in that program," Massaro said. "I'm very bullish on Nick's team heading into next year."
McDevitt seems to have found the right chemistry with his team, and with his top-three scorers returning – seniors Antonio Green and Reggie Scurry and junior Donovan Sims – the future looks bright. The Blue Raiders will also add a talented recruiting class and heralded transfers C.J. Jones and Deandre Dishman to the lineup next season.
Currently, seven of the Blue Raiders' 12 head men and women have been at the university at least eight years, and five have a dozen or more years under their belt, headlined by the 55-year tenure of legendary track and field and cross country coach Dean Hayes.
The 2018-19 school year presented a bit of a challenge for Massaro, though. He was tasked at finding four new head coaches to lead his women's tennis, men's golf, men's basketball and baseball teams.
While the mission was no easy one to accomplish, the early returns signify Massaro may have hit on all four coaches. All showed a large amount of promise, with Mark McEntire leading the way by capturing a Conference USA title for the men's golf program, their second in a row.
"They all inherited different circumstances, so it was really fun to watch and help counsel them through their first year," Massaro said. "They're all very different, but they're all very maniacal about their recruiting and have a very clear vision of what they want their programs to be. That's what you look for in your interviews, and I'm very excited to see what unfolds with all of those programs."
Women's Tennis
Maybe the toughest coaching job for the newcomers was the one Tayo Bailey-Duvall took on with the women's tennis team.
The Blue Raiders returned almost every member from their 2018 team that advanced to the C-USA semifinals, but Bailey-Duvall, who came to MT after six years at her alma mater Butler, wasn't hired to replace former coach Charlie Ramsay until August. With all but one of her student-athletes natives of Europe or South Africa, she didn't get a chance to meet them face-to-face until the fall semester was starting.
"She was the last one hired, so it was a little more difficult for her," Massaro said. "She really didn't get a chance to meet her team until the fall. That's a tough thing to do for a new coach."
One thing Bailey-Duvall didn't have to worry about when she came to Murfreesboro was her student-athletes' performance in the classroom.
The women maintained a 3.9 team GPA in the spring semester, and senior Costanza Magazzini was named to the C-USA All-Academic team while earning her third C-USA Academic Medal.
"They had a new coach come in, and the student-athletes still maintained a team 3.9 GPA," Massaro said. "I tip my cap to them. That's a real joy to see."
On the court, the Blue Raiders didn't get off to a strong start with a 1-6 record through seven dual matches, but improvements were brewing.
They righted the ship from there, finishing 9-6 in their final 15 regular-season matches and advancing to the C-USA quarterfinals after a 4-1 victory over LA Tech in the opening round.
While the talent and leadership of seniors Luisa Zirilli, Kim Kermet and Magazzini will be missed heading into the 2019-20 season, four sensational incoming freshmen should keep the ball rolling in the right direction in Bailey-Duvall's second year.
Men's Golf
The most-successful Middle Tennessee team with a new leader was men's golf under coach Mark McEntire, who was hired in July after spending 13 years at College of Charleston.
Not much was expected out of the Blue Raiders when former coach Brennan Webb took two of the team's best players plus most of MT's heralded recruiting class with him to the University of Tennessee.
Middle Tennessee struggled through the fall semester, getting bounced from one tournament for not having an adequate roster and having to deal with an injury to star senior Marcus Byrd.
Byrd came back for the spring semester, though, and with the addition of Vanderbilt sophomore transfer Cooper Sears, things started to look up.
The Blue Raiders kept building to the Conference USA Championships, getting a great spring from junior Tanner Owens and others, and used the momentum to shock the field with a C-USA title, their second in a row.
"It really was a remarkable feat," Massaro said. "It's probably the golf story of the year because of how they were able to overcome a tough fall and have a great spring. I'm really happy for that team with how much they had to go through."
With a strong four-member recruiting class that includes three prep standouts from Tennessee, McEntire's golfers could be primed for continued success. They won't shock anyone this time around, though.
Baseball
There was one clear goal for head coach Jim Toman, the former Liberty head man, when he took over the MT baseball team in June of 2018. He had to make the Blue Raiders competitive again in a tough C-USA.
While the team finished with just an 18-37 overall record, 11-19 in league play, the Raiders were thick in the conference tournament race heading into the final week of the regular season before finishing 2 ½ games back.
"Jim really didn't get a chance to meet his team until the fall … but I thought the guys really played hard in his first season," Massaro said. "We were right in the race to make the tournament until the last weekend, and while it's disappointing not making the tournament, you can see the wheels turning for the future."
The clear improvement in Toman's first season came on the mound.
Middle Tennessee's 6.47 team ERA in 2018 was one of the worst in the nation, as were its 330 walks given up and 1.30:1 strikeouts-to-walks ratio. Toman and pitching coach Kyle Bunn were able to help improve all of those numbers this season, to a 4.87 ERA, 174 walks and 2.45:1 strikeouts-to-walk.
Next season, the Blue Raiders will get seven of the nine pitchers back who threw double-digit appearances in 2019, including weekend starters Peyton Wigginton and Zach Keenan. If they can replicate their success on the mound, look for more wins to come in Toman's second year.
Men's Basketball
The exit of 16-year head coach Kermit Davis left Middle Tennessee's men's basketball program in a tough spot. It appears new leader Nick McDevitt was the right man to bring the Raiders through the change, though.
The first season in Murfreesboro didn't start great for McDevitt, who spent five years as the head man at his alma mater UNC Asheville before leaving for Middle Tennessee in March of 2018.
A little over halfway through the campaign, the Blue Raiders were riding a 13-game losing streak and boasted just a 3-14 record.
Something clicked, though, as the men in blue went 8-6 over the next 14 games to finish the regular season with an 8-10 record in C-USA play.
"How they held it together through a rough circumstance in a 13-game losing streak and to be playing how we were at the end of the year, that makes me very optimistic for tremendous improvement in that program," Massaro said. "I'm very bullish on Nick's team heading into next year."
McDevitt seems to have found the right chemistry with his team, and with his top-three scorers returning – seniors Antonio Green and Reggie Scurry and junior Donovan Sims – the future looks bright. The Blue Raiders will also add a talented recruiting class and heralded transfers C.J. Jones and Deandre Dishman to the lineup next season.
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