Billy Gernon - Head Coach - Baseball Coaches - Purdue Fort Wayne Athletics

Billy Gernon

Title:
Head Coach

Billy Gernon was announced the head baseball coach on August 10, 1999. Beginning his 9th season, he finds himself with more victories than any other baseball coach in the program's 40 year history. IPFW has averaged just under 20 wins per year under Gernon, despite averaging only 14 home games per year. Due to operating as an independent, Gernon's squads have played over 75 percent of their games on the road. That is all about to change as IPFW enters its first season in school history with an opportunity to play for a Division I Summit League Conference Championship. The impact of conference affiliation has been felt immediately, as IPFW finds itself with 26 home games including 5 home weekend series. IPFW was fortunate to have one home weekend series per year due to the difficulty in scheduling over the last seven years as an independent. After coming off of a substandard 2007 season that was riddled with injuries, IPFW enters 2008 with tremendous anticipation. Gernon lead his squad to three consecutive years of 20 plus wins in a row from 2004-2006. In 2005, IPFW was 24-25 and was 28th in the nation in batting average at .315, as well as 9th in the nation in stolen bases. The Mastodons found themselves in elite company on the national scene. These types of numbers helped IPFW experience its highest draft pick in school history. Shortstop Ryan Steinbach was selected in the 20th round by the Baltimore Orioles in the professional baseball amateur draft. Coach Gernon has had five of his own players be offered professional baseball contracts while being directly involved with over 20 in his coaching career. IPFW has recorded impressive victories under Gernon over the last four seasons that include wins over Iowa, Boston College, Miami of Ohio, Western Kentucky, UIC, BGSU, Maine, OHIO, Rhode Island and Northeastern, just to mention a few. IPFW defeated UIC, Maine, Rhode Island and Wright State, all in the years each team qualified for the NCAA tournament. Boston College was a pre-season top 50 mention in 2005 when IPFW earned a 1-0 victory. "When you are independent with no post season opportunities, you focus on achieving victories over well respected programs. We are very proud to have competed against and to have been successful against respected and well coached programs. I am especially thankful for the coaches that were gracious enough to help us with scheduling to allow us to have the few home games we did get to experience," added Gernon. In 2006, IPFW took 16th ranked Notre Dame to extra innings before falling 4-3. The Irish had the longest winning streak in the nation at the time at 18, and the game was regionally telecast on Comcast Cable. It was a game highlighted by a 3 run blast hit by then senior Ryan Keena/Fort Wayne, the gave IPFW a one run lead that they would eventually surrender. Keena, a Homestead H.S grad, lead IPFW in 2005 and 2006 in stolen bases and his 33-36 mark in 2005 put him at 9th best in the nation. Gernon is highly regarded for team academic success and for being a student of the game. His teams have been traditionally founded on an aggressive, scrappy style of baseball focused on offensive pressure that has transferred into tremendous on field success. He has shown the ability to recruit academic-minded players that have gone on to excel at the collegiate level, most recently noted by short stop Chris Venvertloh. In 2007, Chris received the Student of the Year award from the Communication and Athletic Department, having graduated with a 4.0 grade point average. Zach Wilson, now in the front office as Manager of Scouting for the Colorado Rockies, received the prestigious "Doc Skelton Award" given annually at IPFW, honoring academic excellence and community service. Baseball "knocked it out of the park" academically as they have maintained over a 3.0 accumulative grade point average in his nine years. The fall semester of 2007 was no exception as the team posted a 3.25, which was highest among all male programs and highest in program history. Baseball has recorded the highest grade point average in the fall semester four out of the last five. It is not uncommon to see multiple players on the Dean's List. The team has also seen nine of its players be recognized by the Indiana Rho Chapter of Chi Alpha Sigma for prestigious academic success. Coach Gernon has successfully placed his players in competitive summer leagues throughout the Midwest since his hiring. Ryan Steinbach was a standout for the Lima Locos in the Great Lakes Collegiate League, being selected as the Most Valuable Player of the post season tournament. Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge, a Fort Wayne native, played for the Locos himself while in college playing for Wichita State. Jason Horvath/South Bend, IN, was selected Most Valuable Pitcher of the Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) in 2004 as a member of the Springfield Rifles. David Zachary, Ryan Keena (Grand Lake Mariners) all garnered All Star selections in the Great Lakes League. Gernon was offered his first college coaching position in 1996 from former Indiana University Head Coach, Bob Morgan. Gernon also played for Coach Morgan in 1989-90 and worked as a closer for the Hoosiers. Coach Morgan was selected as the Mid-East region coach of the year as the Hoosiers won the Big Ten and qualified for the NCAA tournament. The Hoosiers had five players offered professional contracts. Gernon then became head coach of the Lexington Dixie in the summer of 1996. His squad went on to win their Regional tournament. Three of those players went on to sign professional contracts including Andy Green of the Cincinnati Reds. Coach Gernon began his playing career at Indiana University Southeast after playing high school baseball for New Albany High School in New Albany, IN. While a sophomore at Indiana Southeast, Gernon was selected team Most Valuable Player as a pitcher while garnering the earned run average trophy as well. Gernon played his senior season at Indiana University where he secured wins against Purdue and Michigan while recording saves against Illinois and Iowa. Illinois was then coached by the well respected Augie Garrido, now head coach for the Texas Longhorns. Indiana was selected 10th pre-season and Gernon's bullpen heroics still were not enough as the Hoosiers fell just short of making the Big Ten Tournament finishing in 5th place. "It was a great experience that I will always cherish. It changed my life in ways I could have never imagined." I was an Indiana fan since childhood and being afforded the opportunity to wear the cream and crimson was a life changing experience," said Gernon. Coach Gernon and the baseball program have been recognized for their involvement in the Fort Wayne community. The baseball team has assisted both Habitat for Humanity and United Way Big Brothers Program. Gernon assisted his team in being involved in the lunch buddy program for United where IPFW players visit elementary schools and spend time mentoring the youth of Fort Wayne. Coach Gernon was a featured speaker at the IHSAA state clinic in 2003 and 2007 while also being invited to instruct at Michigan, Notre Dame and Indiana elite baseball camps. Several of Coach Gernon's assistants have gone on to assume coaching positions, most notably former player and assistant coach Blaine McFerrin. Coach McFerrin was a volunteer assistant for the 2005 Michigan Wolverines and now is in his second season as the pitching coach at Georgia State of the Colonial League. Coach Gernon earned a BGS (1990) and a BS in English Education (1998) from Indiana University. He is married to the former Annie Recker, and they have a son Jacob (7) and a daughter Abby (4).