MOBILE, Ala. – With nearly 1,100 victories in a coaching career spanning 29 seasons, former University of South Alabama baseball coach Steve Kittrell has received numerous accolades including induction into the school's athletic hall of fame as well as multiple region and Sun Belt Conference coach-of-the-year honors. Another will be added to the list this spring.
The number worn by the Jaguar legend will be retired in an official ceremony on Saturday, May 7, when USA faces Georgia Southern at Stanky Field. He will be the third member of the Jag baseball program to have his number retired, joining former head coach Eddie Stanky and All-American Luis Gonzalez.
"I would like to share this honor with all my former players and assistant coaches, without their efforts this does not happen," Kittrell said. "I feel so honored to have my number up there with Luis Gonzalez and my former coach and mentor Eddie Stanky. When a coach has his number retired it's special, and when it's your alma mater it's even more emotional. Thank you to everyone involved, I am very honored. Go Jags!"
"The Retired Jersey-Number Committee has been established whose charge is to objectively evaluate the current inductees of the South Alabama Athletics Hall of Fame and identify those who are worthy of the highest honor in our department's proud history, which is to have their jersey number retired or their name honored in sports which do not utilize jersey numbers," said USA Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann. "The retirement of Coach Kittrell's number 3 recognizes his contribution to the University of South Alabama and the game of collegiate baseball. This not only reflects what he achieved in the uniform, but also acknowledges who he is as a man and leader of the university. It will be with great pride and joy that we retire the number 3 in a public ceremony on Saturday, May 7."
Kittrell finished with a 1,084-663-1 record in 29 seasons as a head coach from 1983-2011, with all but the first guiding the Jaguars; he posted a mark of 1,052-644-1 at the school, leading USA to 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, 14 Sun Belt regular season and division titles, and eight league tournament championships. His Jag teams finished with a winning record 25 times during his tenure, collecting 40 or more victories on 14 occasions while advancing to within one game of making a College World Series appearance in six seasons. Fourteen USA teams under Kittrell's command ended the year ranked in the top 30 of either the Baseball America or Collegiate Baseball final polls.
He still remains in the top 50 all-time on the NCAA's victory list at all levels and is among the top 40 in Division I.
Kittrell was twice named region coach of the year by the American Baseball Coaches Association, earning the same honor from the Sun Belt Conference six times in addition to being voted the all-time head coach on the league's 30th anniversary team in 2006.
During his tenure, Kittrell had 22 student-athletes earn All-America honors, 41 all-region selections as well 79 individuals who would receive all-conference accolades; that group included five Sun Belt Players of the Year as well as the conference's Pitcher of the Year in 2006. He also coached a pair of Academic All-Americans.
More than 100 Jaguars played in the professional ranks following the conclusion of their careers under Kittrell, including 17 who would go on to reach the Major Leagues. Former Jags who played under Kittrell and achieved success in the majors include Gonzalez — who provided the game-winning hit for the Arizona Diamondbacks in game seven of the 2001 World Series — and 2011 World Series and National League Championship Series Most Valuable Player David Freese as well as All-Stars Lance Johnson and Jon Lieber. In addition, Juan Pierre finished 10th in voting for the National League's MVP in 2004 while Adam Lind was 15th in the vote for the '09 American League MVP, with Marlon Anderson, Mike Mordecai and Turner Ward all playing the majors for 10 or more years.
Kittrell — a 1971 South Alabama graduate with a degree in health, physical education and recreation — still holds the program record for four-year players with a career .368 batting average. He was inducted into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993.
"I would like to also thank my parents, my daughter Stacy and especially my wife of 47 years, Carol. Carol was there during those 1,000-plus wins but more importantly for the 600 losses," said Kittrell. "Cliff Ellis hired me in June 1983, and I also had the pleasure of working with Joe Gottfried and Dr. Joel Erdmann, I would like to thank them all as well."
More ceremony details will be announced later in the spring.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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