Stories of the Decade: #7
Oskaloosa–A life-long skipper joining very exclusive company made it to #7 on the Stories of the 2010s top-10 list.
William Penn Head Baseball Coach became a member of the 1,000-win club in 2019. Easily the most-successful manager in any sport on campus, Laird had been on the diamond for 37 years when he accomplished the rare feat. At the time, he was the seventh active NAIA coach to hit the mark.
During his tenure which started in the spring of 1983, Laird has led the Statesmen to 11 league titles and 21 postseason tournaments, highlighted by a trip to the NAIA World Series in 2004. The navy and gold ranked fourth in NCAA Division III in winning percentage in the 1990s.
The Statesmen during the 2010s saw both sides of the coin, including posting six campaigns of .500 or better ball. The 2013 crew matched its 2019 counterpart as league champions.
Laird has been named Conference Coach of the Year 10 times and has been recognized by the IHSBCA and ABCA, most recently being named NAIA Region VII Coach of the Year in 2004. He was also an NAIA Coach of the Year finalist that same year.
In his time in the navy and gold, Laird has coached 127 all-conference players, 22 All-Americans, and 11 conference MVPs. A total of 50 former players have been drafted and/or signed to professional contracts and three pitchers have made it to the majors.
With regards to wins, of his 37 previous squads, 32 of them tallied at least 20 triumphs. Fourteen teams posted at least 30 victories with three surpassing the 40-win plateau. The 2004 team broke the program record with 48 victories. Inside conference play, the Laird’s Statesmen have collected a total of 469 league wins with a .588 winning clip. As of the time of this article, Laird is 1017-572-3 for a .640 winning percentage.
