This post discusses the inequity of pay for junior college baseball coaches in Illinois. Are the baseball coaches at Illinois junior colleges half as good as the baseball coaches in all other states? According to the salary information provided by the Office of Postsecondary Education, baseball coaches salary, and apparently by the administrators at Illinois junior colleges, the answer seems to be yes, they are only half as good.
We researched the salary data from 2008 through 2012, provided by the U.S. Department of Education, on Illinois junior college head and assistant baseball coaches, their annual salaries against all of the other states that have NJCAA Division I, II, or III baseball.
Here is some of the 2012 data that we looked at:
First for Head Coaching positions -
- Illinois only has 5 full time head coaches in 2012 where as there are 91 in the other NJCAA states.
- The 2012 average annual salary for head baseball coaches in Illinois $10,212 where as the average in all other states is $19,968. As you can see, Illinois head coaches are paid about 50% less than in all other NJCAA states.
- Illinois head coaches also have to do more work as the average number of assistant coaches in Illinois is at 1.74 and all other states average closer to 2.
Next, Assistant Baseball Coaches -
- There are zero full time assistant coaches in Illinois where as other NJCAA states have 42.
- The annual salary for assistant baseball coaches at NJCAA schools was $3,925 in 2012 verses $8,554 in all other NJCAA states, that is 45.8%!
- Other NJCAA states offer 17% of assistant coaches full time employment where Illinois junior colleges offer only 4% of assistant coaches this opportunity.
- Illinois assistant coaches only earned $248 per participant (player) for the entire season where as all other NJCAA junior college states earned over $500 per participant (which is more than the head coaches in Illinois earn).
The total number of participants (baseball players) has increased 4.7% from 2008 to 2012. There are more student-athletes playing baseball at community colleges in Illinois. This means more tuition, more state Base Operating Grants, more federal funding.
It is easy to see but hard to understand why the coaches in Illinois are paid only half of what other NJCAA states are paying baseball baseball coaches.
Next in line at Eureka College is ex-McHenry County College baseball coach
Kim Johnson. Johnson has coached at Moraine Valley, Bellevue, Illinois Central, and Western Illinois.
Johnson takes over for Isaac Cox (2013) , who took over for James Clark (2012).
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale head baseball coach Ken Henderson signed a contract extension to continue as the head baseball coach through the 2014 season.
In his third season at Southern Illinois the Saluki head coach went 31-28 in 2012. Henderson is entering his 23rd season at Southern Illinois Carbondale as he joined the Saluki staff in 1990.
Chicago State named Steve Joslyn as their new head baseball coach in August. Joslyn takes over for Michael Caston who lasted four years at Chicago State University. Chicago State Finished the 2012 season with a 13-40 record.
Joslyn comes from Northern Illinois University after spending 10 years as an assistant coach for the Huskies. Northern Illinois finished last season with a 15-40 record.
Jon Anderson will take over the Dundee-Crown baseball program as he was named head baseball coach this week.
Anderson becomes the fourth head baseball coach in six years at Dundee-Crown after coaching the summer team and securing a job as a teacher in District 300.
Anderson was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 1999 draft and played three seasons in the minors. Jon also was the player/manager of the Rockford RiverHawks in 2002.
The University of Illinois at Springfield announced the hiring of Mike Zandler to take over the baseball program as head coach yesterday.
Zandler moves to UIS from Davidson where he spent the last five years as an assistant coach and worked with the pitching staff. In five seasons as pitching coach at Davidson Zandler's pitching staffs averaged an ERA under six only once, which was in 2011 when the bat standard changed for NCAA baseball. In 2011 Davidson finished 7th out of 12 teams in conference earned run average. Davidson was 86-165 overall and 36-104 in conference in Zandlers five seasons.
The Brother Rice baseball program hires it's second head baseball coach in two years at Dan Szmergalski steps down after one year as the school's baseball coach. His replacement is St. Rita sophomore baseball coach John McCarthy. McCarthy is a 2002 graduate of St. Rita and a 25th round draft pick of the Texas Rangers in 2002.
Brother Rice finished last season 14-15.
Westmont High School and Community Unit School District 201 in Westmont Illinois is hiring a head baseball coach for the varsity level. Applicants must apply online at www.cusd201.org/employment.
For additional information please contact the Athletic Director Dennis Renner at:
Westmont High School
909 North Oakwood Drive
Westmont, Illinois 60559
Eureka Athletic Director Paul Bryant announced James Clark as the new baseball head coach recently. Clark comes to Eureka after two years at Spoon River after going 8-45 at Spoon River in 2011 and 5-32 in 2010.
Clark takes over for Greg Gerdes who retired last spring after two seasons and a 11-32 record. Looks like Eureka will continue with tradition.
St. Charles East High School announced Friday that Len Asquini will lead the baseball program again. Asquini, who takes over for Dave Haskins who quietly snuck over to Romeoville High School after only two years at East, complied a 224-88 record from 1996-2003 at St. Charles East. Asquini's Saints also won the 1999 Class AA state championship, six regional and two sectionals.
Asquini also won coach of the year honors in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2002.
University of Illinois Springfield baseball coach Brian Grunzke announced his resignation after one season with the Prairie Stars. Grunzke has moved on to take the assistant baseball coach position at South Dakota State.
The Prairie Stars went 8-35 in their first season at the Division II level.
Currently the University of Illinois Springfield is still searching for a new head baseball coach.
Brian Michalak, the top assistant at the University of St. Francis the past four seasons, has been named the Head Baseball Coach and will suceed Gordie Gillespie who retired at the end of last season.
Michalak played for Gillespie after graduating from Lockport in 1979 and was a four-year utility infielder at St. Francis. Michalak now resides in New Lenox Illinois.
Glenbard East High School is looking for a Head Baseball Coach for the 2011-2012 baseball season. Please go to http://www.glenbard87.org/ to fill out an applicaton or contact Mr. Davis at 630-627-9250.
Mt. Vernon City Schools is also seeking a Head Baseball Coach. For more information please visit http://www.mtv80.org/.
Marengo Community High School District 154 is taking application for an anticipated vacancy for Head Baseball Coach for the 2011-2012 school year. For more information please contact Becky Weinhandl at 815-568-6511.
The Danville Dans have named former Dans and Air Force Academy Head Coach Mike Hutcheon as Field Manger for the 2011 season.
Hutcheon was the Head Coach of the Dans from 1989 through 1993. Hutcheon was also the Head Baseball Coach at Air Force Academy from 2004 through 2010 with an overall record of 78-287 and 15-156 in conference. Hutcheon resigned from his Head Baseball Coaching position at the Air Force Academy at the end of the 2010 season.
Interim head coach Adam Smith has been promoted to full-time head baseball coach at Concordia University in Chicago.
Over the past two seasons Smith served as a full-time assistant and hitting coach for the Cougars.
Concordia also announced that Brandon Townsend as the new full-time assistant coach. Townsend will work with the Cougars' pitching staff and also be involved with recruiting.
Former assistant Ray Gialo has replaced Bill Rosencrans as the Head Varsity Baseball Coach at Lakes High School in Lake Villa Illinois.
Gialo is in his sixth year at Lakes as a teacher and a coach. Prior to Lakes Gialo was the Head Baseball Coach at Chicago St. Patrick for three years.
