Laird Inducted into Iowa HS Coaches Hall of Fame
Oskaloosa–William Penn Head Baseball Coach Mike Laird has been recognized by his in-state coaching peers as a future inductee into the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Laird is one of seven members of the 2021 Class, which will be inducted next January. The class would have been inducted this January, but the yearly banquet was cancelled due to COVID-19. Laird was a unanimous pick from the 16-member committee.
“It is a great honor to receive this award from my baseball peers in Iowa,” Laird said. “I have been extremely fortunate to have had many great people around me, including my wife and family, administrators, assistant coaches, and of course, countless players. Being able to do this at my alma mater has been absolutely special. I am planning on several more highly-successful seasons at WPU.”
In his 39th season at the helm of the Statesmen program, he owns a current record of 1052-587-3 (.641 winning pct.), while his overall coaching record is 1140-645-3 (.638) with an 88-58 mark at the high school level. Laird ranks 16th all-time in the NAIA in wins and seventh among active NAIA coaches.
His teams have won 11 conference titles and competed in nine NCAA postseason tournaments and six NAIA postseason tournaments.
A Class of 2012 inductee to William Penn’s Athletics Hall of Fame, Laird has coached 127 all-conference players, 22 All-Americans, and 11 conference MVPs. More than 50 former players have been drafted and/or signed to professional contracts and three pitchers have made it to the majors. He has been named conference coach of the year 10 times and was also an NAIA Coach of the Year finalist in 2004.
“Coach Laird continues to have one of the more notable careers in college baseball that has impacted the game at all levels,” William Penn Athletics Director Nik Rule said. “His longevity in the sport has been incredible and his decades of success show his ability to adapt and progress. We are very proud of Coach Laird and believe the IHSBCA made a great choice in presenting him this honor. We are excited to see what he continues to accomplish here at WPU, building on one of the more impressive careers in the sport.”
