RUSTON, La. – Louisiana Tech associate head coach Mitch Gaspard is retiring after five years with the Bulldogs and a coaching career spanning more than 30 years, the school announced Wednesday.
Gaspard was a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Georgia in 2018-19 before taking over as associate head coach at Louisiana Tech in the summer of 2019. Since then, as hitting coach, Gaspard has helped develop five All-Americans (Parker Bates, Hunter Wells, Taylor Young, Ethan Bates and Cole McConnell) and 14 All-Conference USA selections.
He played a key role in helping the Bulldogs win three CUSA titles and reach the NCAA Regional Tournament in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Head coach Lane Burrows had this to say about Coach Gaspard:
“Mitch joined our program the summer after the tornado. At the time we had no fields, no offices, no locker room, and very little else, but he was all in from the get-go.”
“As a young assistant, when you’re recruiting and trying to prove your worth, you find guys who are successful doing it the right way and try to emulate those guys. For me, it was Mitch Gaspard when he was on a roll at Alabama. We always had a connection with Northwestern State and I was always looking for Mitch at recruiting events and getting in his pocket just to learn. I must have tired him out. He taught me so much without even realizing it when I was on the front lines as a young player.”
“Coach Gaspard means a lot to me both personally and professionally, but the value he has brought to our program is immeasurable. He has been with me longer than any assistant since I became head coach and I have relied on him in all aspects of running a top-tier Division I baseball program.”
“Coach Gaspard is one of the best coaches around. He’s been in the job for over 30 years and I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about him. We are incredibly grateful for the time and effort he put into building Louisiana Tech and we sincerely hope that he and his wife Kim are able to retire and spend more time with their children and grandchildren. If anyone deserves to retire on their own terms, it’s Coach Gaspard. They will always be Bulldogs and there will always be a place for them here at the Love Shack.”
The Port Arthur, Texas, native will finish his coaching career with a 444-331 record.
Article Author: La Tech Athletics
