Aug. 28, 2007

Head Baseball Coach Mike Florak Resigns His Post

    Youngstown -- Youngstown State head baseball coach Mike Florak, the man who helped lead the program onto a national scene in his nine years, has decided to step down from his position.
    Florak, who led the Penguins to more than 200 wins, will continue to oversee the program through mid-October before leaving his post.

    "I've greatly enjoyed my time here at YSU, but all good things must come to an end," Florak said. "I've got a different mission for my life at this point."
    In his nine-year career at YSU, Florak coached the Penguins to their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2004 and saw 11 of his players taken in the Major League Baseball draft or sign professional contracts.
    YSU Athletic Director Ron Strollo said Florak did an extraordinary job during his nine seasons.

    "Coach Florak led us through our transition into the Horizon League and that was highlighted with a conference championship in 2004," Strollo said. "His impact was felt off the field as well with his work in the local youth baseball leagues, his YES Clinic work at the College World Series and his speaking engagements about his battle with Crohn's Disease."
    He also saw his emphasis on academics continually produce solid results for his players in the classroom. Last fall the baseball team finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.10, which was the highest of any men's team in the Horizon League. Florak also coached a Second-Team Academic All-America pick in Brandon Caipen, four academic all-district selections and 20 academic all-conference honorees.

    "The academic success of our baseball student-athletes was tremendous," Strollo said. "Baseball programs struggle throughout the country to maintain good academic success, but ours has been routinely successful."
    Last season, Florak and his squad battled through an up-and-down regular season before ending the season on a high note by posting two victories in the Horizon League Tournament. Florak also earned his 200th win at YSU last season against Pittsburgh on April 4.

    Florak said the 2008 Penguins will be a group that could enjoy a lot of success.
    "I think there is a great nucleus with great people on this team," he said. "I'm going to miss the chance to be part of a special team this year."
    On the individual level, Florak guided John Koehnlein to a .434 batting average in 2006, which ranked fourth in the nation. Koehnlein and Josh Page earned First-Team All-Horizon League honors to become the 11th and 12th first-team selections under Florak. The skipper also coached two First-Team Freshman All-Americans, two Honorable-Mention All-Americans, a conference newcomer of the year and two conference pitchers of the year.
    Florak will be most heralded as the coach who led the Penguins to their first conference title and first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. In 2004, YSU entered the Horizon League Tournament as the seventh seed but swept through the field with four straight wins at Eastwood Field as the host school. The Guins went on to take leads against No. 1 Texas and TCU at the Austin Regional before bowing out in two games.
    A national search to find Florak's successor will begin immediately.