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8/24/2009 - BASEBALL
UNF's Rhodes Announces Retirement After 2010 Season
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Courtesy UNFOspreys.com
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - University of North Florida head baseball coach Dusty Rhodes announced his retirement at the conclusion of the 2010 baseball season in a press conference on Monday, Aug. 24.
Rhodes, who founded the UNF baseball program, will step aside after 23 seasons as head coach of the Ospreys. In addition, UNF also announced that Raymond "Smoke” Laval will take over as the new head baseball coach at the end of the 2010 season.
“With more than 1,100 wins to his credit, Dusty is definitely among a prestigious group of coaching legends,” said UNF President John A. Delaney. “It’s been an honor to work with him and see him bring the University’s baseball program to full Division I status. Dusty has been an icon in baseball at UNF since 1988 and is truly going to be missed.”
“You just can’t say enough about Dusty Rhodes and what he has meant to baseball at UNF and in the state of Florida,” remarked Director of Athletics Lee Moon. “He built the Osprey baseball program from scratch and guided it with tremendous success through NAIA, Division II and now into a full-fledged Division I member playing for championships.
“Dusty guided UNF to five different College World Series appearances and even more regional appearances, but even more than that, he has molded and shaped our student-athletes into men who succeed, not only on the playing field, but in the classroom and in life. Dusty is the epitome of UNF baseball and a true Osprey. He will be missed.”
Rhodes started UNF’s program from scratch at the NAIA level in 1988. He took that opportunity and built it into a national powerhouse en route to becoming one of the most successful coaches in college baseball history.
