C-USA Names Award In Honor of Former ECU Baseball Coach Keith LeClair

Keith LeClair

The Conference USA Baseball Coach of the Year award has been re-named in honor of former East Carolina head coach Keith LeClair, it was announced today. Beginning in 2003, the award will be referred to as The Keith LeClair Coach of the Year Award.

A highly successful coach at East Carolina and Western Carolina, LeClair stepped down after five seasons as the Pirates head coach on June 19, citing health reasons. During the summer of 2001, the 35-year old LeClair was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or as it is commonly referred to as, “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.”

With his health deteriorating, LeClair was unable to coach his team from the dugout most of this past season. However, he did continue to attend games, sitting in a specially-designed van that contained a ventilator to aid in his breathing. Virtually unable to speak any longer, he uses an alphabet board to communicate with others.

“The fight, courage and determination that Keith has shown while fighting this disease have been inspirational to his team, as well as to players, administrators and coaches around our league,” said Conference USA Commissioner Mike Slive. “It is with that in mind that we want to re-name this award in his honor.”

"The coaches in the Conference USA feel Keith exemplifies every quality that the 'Coach of the Year' award stands for,” said South Florida head coach Eddie Cardieri, chair of the league’s baseball coaches. “He is a great coach, a great person and an inspiration to everyone in baseball with his outstanding work ethic. Keith has always been a tremendous competitor as he has shown through his illness. He is a true champion."

In 1992, LeClair became Western Carolina’s head coach at the age of 25. In his first season, he led Western Carolina to the Southern Conference regular season and tournament championships. The team, which finished with a No. 17 national ranking, advanced to the NCAA Tournament and came within one game of making the College World Series field, falling to Florida State in the championship game of the South Regional. His 1994 team posted a school-record 45 wins and earned the program's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA postseason. In his six seasons at Western Carolina, he posted a record of 229-135-2, led WCU to four NCAA Tournament berths, and was SoCon Coach of the Year in 1992, 1994, and 1997.

LeClair has continued that success since arriving at East Carolina in 1997. The second-winningest coach in ECU history, his teams won 43 or more games in each of the last four seasons, advancing to NCAA Tournament play each time, and have been ranked in the national Top 25 polls each of the last three seasons. His 2002 ECU squad won the 2002 Conference USA Tournament title in its first season in the league. He has earned Colonial Athletic Association Coach-of-the-Year and ABCA East Region Coach of the Year honors twice.

As a player, assistant coach, and head coach, LeClair has been a part of 13 NCAA Tournament teams and has won conference Coach of the Year honors five times.

LeClair, who has been integral in the push for the building of a new, state-of-the-art baseball stadium on the ECU campus, will remain with the ECU athletics department as a special assistant to Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick.