 
|
Aug. 16, 2006 Princess Anne. MD - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore's (UMES) Acting Director of Athletics, Keith Davidson announced today the hiring of William Gardner as the new skipper of the Hawks' Baseball Program. "It is a very exciting day," said Davidson when announcing the new coach. "Coach Gardner comes to us with a wealth of experience, not only in baseball but in athletic administration. He also knows the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the local area; he is familiar with our program and the challenges we face. We think that we couldn't have found a better fit." "I am extremely excited about this opportunity and looking forward to the challenge," Gardner said. "I am familiar with this area, conference and I have been at HBCUs. I think a lot of the challenges presented here are not new to me and there will be a short learning curve, which will enable me to hit the ground running." Gardner most recently served as the first assistant coach at MEAC rival Delaware State University (DSU), where under his tutelage the Hornets tallied 37 wins in two seasons. In the 2005 campaign DSU finished third in the MEAC with a 19-27 overall record. In 2006 DSU was 18-37-2, falling to the Hawks in the MEAC Tournament. Prior to his arrival at Delaware State, Gardner held posts as the Director of Athletics and Associate Head Baseball Coach at Anne Arundel Community College where his Pioneer squad tallied a 62-65 record from 2001-2003. Gardner is no stranger to Head Coaching duties, serving as Head Baseball Coach and Compliance Coordinator at Bowie State University from 1998-2001. Gardner tallied 51 wins in three seasons there with his most successful season coming in 2001 with a 26-22 mark. His career head coaching mark stands at 51-70. "It is always exciting to take a program like UMES, one that is working hard to become established and make it something we can all be proud of," Gardner added. "The Hawks had a great year last season and I think we can take that and build on it and make it a solid foundation for continued success. That success comes with our student athletes and getting them to leave here after they graduate. I want our athletes successes to come from what they learned on the team and how they apply it to their life after baseball."
Coach Gardner comes to UMES with other baseball knowledge as well, working as Director of Operations for Maryland Baseball LLP, Inc. and serving as an instructor at numerous camps and clinics throughout the region. Gardner obtained two Bachelor of Arts degrees from Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C. in Business Administration and Physical Education. He currently resides in Dover, Del with his wife of nine years, Andrea and their two sons, seven-year old Drew and five-year old Cole. They are expecting their third child in March.
Gardner replaces Head Coach Bobby Rodriguez who spent three years with the Hawks amassing a 26-119-2 record. His best season came in 2006 when the Hawks went 17-34-1 and finished second-place in the MEAC Tournament. He resigned in June to pursue other opportunities.
|
|||||||||
| ||||||||||
