Tufts baseball coach John Casey was recently named an assistant director of athletics, athletics director Bill Gehling confirmed this week. The 1980 Tufts graduate, who played both baseball and football while on the Hill, joins former women's track and field coach Branwen Smith-King as the department's administrative liaisons to Gehling.
"I waited a couple of years to see what kind of help I needed," Gehling, who took over the AD post in 1999, said. "I wanted to see what kind of assistance I needed. But I also wanted to see who in the department emerged. I felt that John Casey clearly emerged as someone with character."
The move, which became official on Feb. 1, will allow Casey to remain head coach of the baseball team while also attending to administrative duties.
"I think sometimes things just evolve," Casey said. "For a while I have been doing some administrative duties, but we are still figuring out the role. Whatever Bill wants me to do, I'm going to do... Eventually we are going to formalize things."
According to Gehling, Casey's focus will be on the intercollegiate side of things, as opposed to the areas of physical education, intramural sports, and health and fitness, which Smith-King will continue to oversee. Specifically, Casey's responsibilities will include handling travel arrangements, budgetary issues with varsity teams, scheduling of facilities, and handling general day-to-day problems.
"Branwen oversees the side that doesn't deal with intercollegiate sports," Gehling said. "John will be helping me with the other side. But it is unfair to expect him to do for his side what Branwen does with her side cause he is still the baseball coach."
Despite the new role, Casey also made clear where his allegiance lies, especially during the spring season. "My absolute first responsibility is to the kids on the team," he said. "In the spring that is my primary responsibility. Luckily, I also have some great assistant coaches."
Casey's familiarity with Tufts athletics spans three decades, beginning with his own successes as an undergraduate. After helping to pitch the Jumbos to back-to-back ECAC Tournament appearances and playing tight end on Tufts' undefeated 1979 football team, Casey found himself back at Tufts as both a baseball and football assistant in 1981. He assumed the reins of the baseball program three years later and since then has compiled a 293-212-3 overall record to go along with 11 post-season berths in 18 seasons.
"I was looking for someone who is a self starter, intelligent, respected in department and [can] make a difficult decision and understands the philosophy of what we are about at Tufts," Gehling, a former Tufts coach himself, said. "Having been here as a student and as staff member, he understands what we are about."
In light of his successes, though, Casey has also faced his share of difficulties at Tufts, beginning with his first season as head baseball coach. "I stayed on and coached for a year while I got my masters," Casey said. "And then I left before I got my masters, then I came back. I have been the head baseball coach since I was 23 - I owe this place. I owe [former Athletic Director] Rocky Carzo. When I was 23, I made every mistake imaginable. I am amazed Rocky was patient with me. He was the guy who brought me back and hired me."
As a result, Casey said concern for his athletes comes before winning. "I'd like every kid here to feel good about Tufts cause you should," he said. "And I want every athlete to feel that they are cared about because they are. Winning is secondary."
Nonetheless, Casey makes no secret about where he feels Tufts ranks in relation to any of its competitors. "We are as good as anybody around," he said.
