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New Era begins for SDSU baseball

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  • #1

    New Era begins for SDSU baseball

    Today the Jackrabbits named University of Kansas Assistant Coach Reggie Christiansen as the next Head Coach of South Dakota State University's Baseball team.  He becomes only the 5th head coach in the programs 57 year history. Congrats to Coach Christiansen!  Welcome to SDSU!



    http://www3.sdstate.edu/Athletics/Ne...cfm?Id=46,3730
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

    This is a surprise. Just judging from the bio info put out on the final four, I think Coach Christensen would not have been my choice. Being on the selection committee, you get a much different perspective, plus how they respond and what they tell the committee is usually what lands the job. I trust the committee and their choice. Coach Christiansen is very young and probably the best choice and best fit for SDSU at this point in time.

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    • #3
      Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

      Prior to becoming an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, Reggie was head coach at his alma mater Menlow College in Atherton, CA . Looks like Menlow is a NAIA school that is in transition to becoming a member of the NCAA.

      http://athletics.menlo.edu/

      Good luck to Caoch Christiansen, Go State! ;D

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      • #4
        Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

        Congratulations to Coach Christianson! Has to be an exciting day for him. Imagine being 26 years old and being named head coach of a DI program.

        Now, before anyone puts their foot in their mouth and starts berating the decision of hiring a coach this young, take a look at SDSU's recent history. WBB hires a twenty-something head coach and wins a national championship a few years later. That won't happen with baseball, but it does put aside the issue of age and success in coaching.

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        • #5
          Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

          Coach Christiansen does already have head coaching exp. and he come to us from a Big XII school so I for one say welcome to the Jackrabbit family!   8)

          Go State!   ;D



          P.S.  According to his Bio over on the Jayhawk's athletics site Coach Christiansen is 28 and will turn 29 next month.  They have his birthday as 8/28/75.

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          • #6
            Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

            He became a head college coach at 26 for Menlow, but now he is 28.

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            • #7
              Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

              Welcome Coach Christiansen and best of luck. Let's show him some South Dakota hospitality and support. He has some big shoes to fill in Coach Ek's. Its a new era and I welcome the newest coach. Go Jackrabbits. Lets find Coach Christiansen and the Jackrabbit 9 a home.
              We are here to add what we can to life, not get what we can from life. -Sir William Osler

              We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.

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              • #8
                Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

                I just listened to the recording of the press conference (by the way I want to thank whomever puts those on the web site it is nice to listen to them), and Coach Christiansen sounds like a great guy.  The story about trying to find his wife after Dr. Oien offered him the job is classic!  ;D

                I also liked the fact that after he found out he was going to be our Coach, he went into Ritch Price's office and got KU on our schedule for next season (quick on his feet).  Sounds like he has Nebraska lined up and that the Jayhawks may be coming up to South Dakota in a couple of years.  I really liked his enthusiasm.  Sounds like a great hire!

                Go State!  ;D

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                • #9
                  Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

                  The take from Lawrence:

                  http://www.kuathletics.com/baseball/.../07_19_04.html

                  Reggie Christiansen Named Head Coach at South Dakota State
                  LAWRENCE, Kan. -- After helping the Kansas baseball program to back-to-back 30 win seasons for only the third time in program history, volunteer assistant coach Reggie Christiansen was selected on Monday as the new head coach at South Dakota State University. The Jackrabbit baseball program will be joining the NCAA Division I ranks in the upcoming season.

                  Christiansen, a native of Ferndale, Cailf., joined the Jayhawks staff with head coach Ritch Price prior to the 2003 season and has served the team in a variety of roles, including being in charge of the team's hitters, outfielders and coaching first base. Before coming to KU, Christiansen was the head baseball coach at Menlo College in California.

                  "I'm thrilled for Reggie and for his opportunity to become a head coach at the Division I level," Price said of the hire. "I compliment South Dakota State on their terrific hire of one of the finest young coaches in the country. Reggie has had a tremendous impact on our program. Everyone associated with KU baseball -- including all the coaches and players -- will miss him greatly. We wish him success in the future, not only because is he an outstanding coach, but an outstanding person. Reggie is the perfect person to lead South Dakota State to the Division I level."

                  Under his instruction, Kansas players broke several school records and were honored by the Big 12 Conference for their outstanding performances. Last season, Jayhawk hitters batted .316 at the plate, the fourth highest season team total in KU baseball history. Also in 2004, the 'Hawks shattered the team home run record with 74 long balls, breaking the previous mark of 63 by the 1993 team, and set a new school record with 697 hits in one season. The Jayhawks led the Big 12 in hitting and finished fourth in the conference in team fielding with a .972 mark. Individually, sophomore center fielder Matt Baty became the school's first All-Big 12 first team selection and junior Travis Metcalf broke the KU single season home run record by hitting 18 round trippers during the regular season.

                  "I am excited about the opportunity to become a head coach at the Division I level," Christiansen commented. "My time at Kansas and in the Big 12 Conference have helped to prepare me for the challenge ahead. This is an exciting time for South Dakota State baseball and I am looking forward to building a quality Division I program." (7/19/04)
                  "I think we'll be OK"

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                  • #10
                    Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

                    Wow, all the preceeding comments and posts are exciting. This is great and Coach Christensen seems to have the hunger to build a very sucessful program.

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                    • #11
                      Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

                      Here are highlights of the Argus story on our new coach:

                      http://www.argusleader.com/sports/Tuesdayarticle5.shtml

                      From Staff & Wire Reports


                      published: 7/20/2004


                      Jackrabbits name new baseball coach

                      BROOKINGS - Reggie Christiansen, . . . assistant coach at Kansas University the past two seasons, has been picked as baseball coach at South Dakota State University.

                      "I think the Division I thing is going to be a big selling point in the recruiting process," Christiansen said at a press conference Monday. "As you can get the kids who can make an impact at the Division I level to stay in state, then you can go to the bordering states.

                      "It's going to take some time. It's definitely a challenge. I knew that when I went into the process."

                      Christiansen, 28, is a native of Ferndale, Calif. He was a head coach . . . at NCAA Division III Menlo College in California before helping at Kansas, where he completed work on his master's degree.

                      "We've never been afraid to hire good, young coaches at South Dakota State University," SDSU Athletic Director Fred Oien said.

                      The first thing Christiansen said he did after finding out he got the job was to approach Kansas coach Ritch Price about getting the Jayhawks on SDSU's 2005 schedule. He hopes to eventually have Kansas play the Jackrabbits at Sioux Falls Stadium in the future.

                      Christiansen is only the third baseball coach at SDSU in the last 55 years, following Mark Ekeland (1984-2003) and Erv Huether (1950-83). Ekeland, who went on medical leave prior to the 2004 season, is scheduled for liver transplant surgery on Aug. 10 in Rochester, Minn.

                      Go State! ;D

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                      • #12
                        Re: New Era begins for SDSU baseball

                        Wow the Register has a story on their web page in a timely manner.

                        http://www.brookingsregister.com/mai...16&page=25

                        Christiansen hired as new coach
                        BY FROM STAFF REPORTS
                        From Staff Reports
                        The Brookings Register

                        On Monday, the Jacks named Reggie Christiansen their new head coach, replacing Mark Ekeland, who resigned due to a medical condition after 21 years as State’s skipper. . . .


                        “He is a wonderful human being, has a wonderful family and loves the game of baseball and has already demonstrated his ability as a coach,” Oien said.
                        “I’m happy to be part of this Jackrabbit family. I can’t inform you how happy we are,” said Christiansen who has already scheduled a game with Kansas University for this spring.
                        Christiansen also expressed some of his plans for the baseball program.
                        “The first thing we need to do is get all the kids in the state of South Dakota excited about South Dakota State University being Division I. I think being Division I is going to be a big selling point in the recruiting process,” Christiansen said. “It’s going to take some time. It’s definitely going to be a challenge and I’m really excited about that challenge.”

                        Go State! ;D



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