Maj. Mike Kazlausky has been named interim head baseball coach at Air Force for the 2011 season, according to a release from the academy.
Kazlausky will replace Mike Hutcheon, who will resign at the end of the season.
A more detailed story will be available soon at Gazette.com.
This is a TREMENDOUS positive step in the right direction. This man bleeds Air Force blue, knows what it takes at the Academy, has done it personally, and I predict will honor the path that Coach Calhoun has established with the football program!!!!
Kaz will do a great job for the Academy, baseball and the Air Force. Honor breeds honor. This will be a breath of fresh air for cadets and alumni forced to play for a man with no honor. Thank you to those who finally acknowleged that cadets were in a no win situation before they took the field. Thank you for grads, fans and the baseball community who thought no one cared. Finally a coach for the baseball team who will not only salute the flag but knows why.
This is the best thing to happen to Air Force baseball in at least 7 years.
Why “interim” for next season. That’s like “almost pregnant”. If Kaz gets the “interim” reins of the program for 2011, why not make him the “interim” head coach tommorrow agianst UNC-Greeley and the balance of the season?
OK, I think I just figured this out. Kaz is a 1991 AFA grad so he needs to serve on active duty until May 2011 to get his 20 and retire. So next year he is the AFA baseball coach as an active duty officer. Summer of 2011 he transitions as a civilian and signs a contract to stay on as head coach.
Now……what this tells me is that Mueh is gone this summer. Mueh sided with Hutcheon when Kaz got fired as an asst. coach. For Kaz to come back to baseball he may have been told that the guy who didn’t back him (Mueh) is outta here soon.
Either way, you have a guy who knows baseball and more importantly knows and CARES about cadets. Something we haven’t had for the last 7 seasons.
Bird, can you PM me on the AF Forum? I am dying for some information and you seem to have it
my screenname is yumdump.
From what I have heard, yes Kaz is on active duty until 2011. The reason behind this is because Hutcheon will be teaching still for the next year and as long as he is teaching his contracted position as head coach cannot be filled….unless an active duty person(Kaz) steps in and just gets paid his military pay. Hutcheon is basically holding the position for another year unless he decides to leave and leave his job vacant as head coach. I think it is a smart move on Muehs part to bring Kaz in. Apparently enough bad press goes a long way. Congrats to Mike, the team, parents and supporters of AF baseball. BIRD, I hope you’re right about Mueh being out of there. that could be one of themost enjoyable days in the history of AF Athletics.
bluesilver- that’s a good point, it could be a move to keep from having to buy out hutch’s contract.
Nice to see the baseball team moving in the right direction. Not bad duty for an active duty military officer during a time of war too!
I hope Kaz is a pitching coach. If not…please, please, please hire a qualified, D1 level pitching coach.
GO FALCONS!