CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern University Director of Athletics Jeff Barber announced today that Head Baseball Coach Adam Ward will be stepping down from the program on December 31.
Barber also announced that Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator George Schaefer will be elevated to interim head coach for the 2020 baseball season.
Ward was named the head coach of the Buccaneers back in 2017 after serving as the pitching coach during his first four seasons at CSU. During his tenure at head coach, the Bucs advanced to the Big South postseason in both 2018 and 2019. CSU posted the most tournament wins since the 2000 season with wins over USC Upstate and Radford.
The Bucs set numerous pitching records under Ward's tutelage and posted three MLB Draft selections in Andrew Tomasovich (Oakland A's, 2015), Chris Singleton (Chicago Cubs, 2017), and Cody Smith (Pittsburgh Pirates, 2018).
A national search for a new head coach will commence in the spring.
Quotes and Comments
Director of Athletics Jeff Barber - "I would like to thank Adam (Ward) for his tireless work and commitment to our Buccaneer baseball program over the past seven years. He has always represented our university with class and integrity and we wish him nothing but the very best in his new job. I look forward to working with George (Schaefer) as we continue to build our baseball program."
Adam Ward - "I am very thankful for the opportunity to spend the past eight years of my life working at a place as special as Charleston Southern. The relationships formed with all of the coaches and players that I have had the privilege of working with day-to-day are priceless. The future is bright for Charleston Southern baseball for many reasons, but especially because of the talented group of players and coaches in this program. I am looking forward to following their success this spring."
Interim Head Coach George Schaefer - "I want to thank the University administration and Athletic Director Jeff Barber for their confidence in me. I also want to thank my predecessors Adam Ward and Stuart Lake. Charleston Southern is a special place; I played here and graduated from here. When I returned to join the coaching staff in 2016, it was with the goal of competing for conference championships. With the talented group of student-athletes we have on this year's squad, we expect to do just that in 2020."
