NWOSU Sports
Jay Lee, Assistant Director of Athletics for Athletic Communications
ALVA – Sam Carel, head baseball coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, resigned his position today, citing personal reasons for his departure.
“I truly appreciate all the work Sam has put in as our head baseball coach,” Director of Athletics, Brad Franz said. “Sam’s players worked very hard on and off the field and he has worked to move Northwestern baseball forward. I wish Sam well in his future endeavors. I know he will be successful.”
During his time at Northwestern, Carel championed facility upgrades. Under his leadership, major projects were completed, such as a new warning track in the outfield, a much needed full irrigation system, and a repainting of the entire outfield wall.
The latest improvement was the most significant – the Dunning Performance Center, a state of the art indoor practice facility.
Not only was Carel the driving force for many projects surrounding the baseball program, but he was very instrumental in the process of transitioning the program into NCAA Division II.
Following his inaugural season at the helm, Carel was named Northwestern’s Coach of the Year at the end of the year athletics award ceremony, voted on by both student-athletes and fellow coaches.
While leading the program, six different Rangers were awarded All-Great American Conference honors, while two went on to also be Academic All-Region and All-Americans due to their success in the classroom, which was a high priority for Carel as the head coach.
“It is with great sorrow that I have submitted my resignation to Coach Brad Franz,” Carel said. “The appreciation I have always had for the opportunity Coach Andy Carter gave me three years ago to become a Ranger has only been matched by the unwavering support Coach Franz exhibited for me and the success of our baseball program. That being said, I have always said to the teams that I coach as well as the students in my classes that the most important job in any man’s life is to be a great husband for his wife and an unwavering father for his children. It is time to give my full effort and full attention into practicing what we preach. I have loved my time here as much as anywhere else in my career and I will be eternally grateful for all the support Coach Franz, President Cunningham, my staff, and players gave to me and my family over this past year. I am proud to be a Ranger and will always bleed the Red and the Black.”
Franz said the search for Carel’s replacement would begin immediately.