2008 Woodie Awards
Coach Myers Ready to lead New Ball Club
Ryan Gibbs: Digitalburg.com
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: Sports
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When Mules' head coach Brad Hill left to become head coach at Kansas State, Myers followed him after spending three seasons at Central Missouri.
After serving as hitting and outfielders coach at Kansas State for four years, Myers wanted an opportunity to return to Central Missouri when Darin Hendrickson left to coach St. Louis University, July 2.
"When the job opened," Myers said, "the opportunity to become head coach here was very high on my priority list."
A few phone calls later, Myers was hired July 25 as Central Missouri's 13th baseball coach.
"I felt like he cared about the program," senior pitcher Jarod Potts said. "I could tell after his first meeting with the team that he wasn't here for show.
He was here to get us ready for the national championship."
Myers said the main difference between the program now and his previous stint is the style of coaching. He thinks the team has "great talent and good pitching," and he wants to establish a "really aggressive and up-tempo" style of play.
"Between the lines," Myers said, "I'm competitive, intense and in-your-face. I want the players to play with that type of controlled emotion."
Senior pitcher Kris Webber said Myers is "exactly what we need."
"He brings a more even-balanced mindset," Webber said. "He's a baseball guy who's about the school, and he's a family guy. He makes you a better person overall"
Hill also gave Myers some advice about being the head baseball coach at Central Missouri.
"He told me to just coach and out-work people," Myers said. "The administration is very supportive and willing to help. Nothing is out of the realm of possibility here."
Myers has a philosophy about dealing with pressure associated with inheriting a successful program.
"Stress is how you deal with things," Myers said. "It's a process. If a player has a shortcoming, you try to get them to fix that problem. You coach them to get the players through the process."
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