Bob Todd Embarks on His12th Season as OSU’sBaseball Skipper – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
February 24, 1999
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Bob Todd, now in his 12th season as head coach of the Ohio State University Buckeyes and in his 16th season overall, is building as fine a collegiate coaching resume as any active coach in the business. Period. And the resume is getting better every year. Todd, the second-winningest coach in OSU history – behind Marty Karows 478 victories – and with the second-longest coaching tenure behind Karow (25 seasons) and L.W. St. John (16) is 30th on the list of all-time winningest active coaches with a .648 winning percentage through 1998. He boasts the Big Tens best overall (439-223-1) and conference (201-105) records since taking hold of the reigns of the Buckeye program in 1988. He has led OSU to a conference-best eight-straight and 10-total Big Ten tournament appearances (1988-95 and 1997-98) and five-consecutive Big Ten championships (1991-95). Under Todd, the Buckeyes have appeared in five-consecutive and six total NCAA regional tournaments (1991-95 and 1997) and a phenomenal 184-49 record at home.
THE 1990s
The Buckeyes have averaged 40 wins since Todds arrival in 1988 and from 1990-1998, Ohio State has amassed a 372-168-1 record, the 12th-best record in the decade among all Division IA schools. These streaks of successes have positioned Todd with an Ohio State record of 439-223-1 and an all-time mark of 563-305-1.
THE AWARDS
Regarding student-athletes, the honors, awards and accomplishments Ohio State student-athletes have garnered under Todd is matched by no other active coach. Consider, Bob Todd 13 Buckeyes have won All-America honors, 58 have been named to all-Big Ten teams, 30 have signed professional contracts, four have been named Academic All-Americans, five have earned Big Ten tournament MVP honors and six have been named either Big Ten Player, Pitcher or Freshman of the Year.
THE BIG TEN AND THE NCAA
The Buckeyes have led the Big Ten in pitching three times (1992, 1993 and 1997), hitting four times (1991, 1994, 1995 and 1996) and fielding three times (1993, 1996 and 1998). Last season, OSU was also first in the nation for fielding with a .972 percentage and has finished as high as second in hitting and slugging percentage in 1994. The Buckeyes are one of only eight teams to record 40-win seasons between 1991-95 and posted the nations eighth-best record during those years (226-85).
NATIONAL CONTENDERS
Todds Buckeyes have defeated some of the nations top teams. The 1992 squad upset defending national champion, third-ranked and host LSU in the NCAA Regionals, and the 1993 squad turned the same trick when it upended second-ranked and host Georgia Tech in the NCAAs. The latter team also defeated eventual national runner-up Wichita State in the NCAA tournament. Other wins during Todds tenure have come over Arizona, Clemson, Florida, Long Beach State, Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Southern California, Tennessee, Alabama, Southern Mississippi, Cal-State Northridge and South Florida.
THE MAN
Away from baseball, Todd is quite the handyman and culinary genius. He enjoys cooking, especially food he has grown in his garden. He is renowned for growing peppers and tomatoes, especially the kind that are hotter than most people can handle. He also enjoys woodworking and country music.
