During their brief six-year history, the Southern Ohio Copperheads have had only one winning season. The 2007 Copperheads led by first-year coach Mike Deegan, however, are changing the franchise's losing ways.
Deegan starred at Marietta College from 1998-2001, garnering two selections to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference first team. During his four years, Marietta amassed a 182-34-1 record and finished the 2001 season as the NCAA National Runner-up in Division III.
Two years after graduating, Deegan returned to his alma mater to begin his coaching career.
My head coach (at Marietta) coached there for 40-some years and then retired
Deegan said. The head assistant got the job and he brought me along into coaching.
Deegan has spent the last four years as an assistant on the Marietta coaching staff. The school continues to churn out winning baseball teams, including the 2006 NCAA Division III National Championship squad.
Thanks to his success at Marietta and his relationship with Ohio coach Joe Carbone, Deegan was able to fill the Copperheads coaching vacancy this season.
I've worked a couple camps for coach Carbone and I know Andrew See the head assistant at OU fairly well
Deegan said. I just talked to those guys and they ended up helping me get this position.
As a first-year coach, Deegan has already infused his winning background into the Copperheads.
Sitting fourth in the league standings with an 18-11 record, the Copperheads appear destined for their best season in franchise history. The players are quick to credit Deegan for the success they have had this season.
He definitely knows his baseball
pitcher Dominique Rodgers said. He has good wisdom for you when you mess up and he doesn't get on you too bad
but he definitely lets you know your mistake and how to correct it. Overall
he's a good coach.
Although he has experienced great success this season, Deegan's collegiate obligations leave him unsure of his future with the Copperheads.
I'm the head assistant at Marietta
so there's a lot of recruiting involved. It's tough to do both the Copperheads and the recruiting in the summer
Deegan said. I'll have to sit down at the end of the year and evaluate and see how things will be for next year.
Whether he stays with the Copperheads or not, Deegan has proven his ability to manage. He hopes to parlay his current success into a managing position at the collegiate level.
At some point
I'd like to move on to bigger schools
Deegan said. Right now
