RIVERSIDE >> Troy Percival’s name recognition wasn’t the sole factor in him getting the head baseball job at UC Riverside, but it helped.
His roots in the community and the fact that he played for the school were factors as well. His passion for and knowledge of the sport, well they played a role too. It was too good a package for a selection committee to pass up.
Percival, 44, was introduced as the fifth coach in school history on campus Tuesday at the Alumni and Visitors Center. He was selected from a pool of 100 or so applicants. The other four coaches that preceded him were a part of the gathering.
“He had everything we were looking for,” UCR Athletic Director Jim Wooldridge said. “His name resonates with this community and with the baseball world, but that wasn’t the reason he got the job. We think he’s just the person to carry on the tradition and take us to the next level.”
Pericval played at UCR from 1987 to 1990 under Jack Smitheran, but had spent the last two years coaching at Moreno Valley High School, also an alma mater.
His playing career in Major League Baseball spanned 14 years with four different organizations, most notably the Angels with whom he played for decade. He is the Angels’ all-time saves leader and was the closer on the 2002 World Series championship team.
He is looking forward to heading a college program for the first time. He replaces Doug Smith, a long-time assistant under Smitheran when Percival was a player.
“I will never go to bed at night knowing I didn’t do everything I can do for this program,” he said, after the formal festivities. “I will do whatever it takes. I want to get where making the regional is a regular thing. Then we’ll look at taking that next step.”
Percival said he thought Smith was a year away from retiring but jumped at the chance to apply for the job when Smith called and told him he was stepping down. Percival’s ties in the community made him a strong candidate. He has been a frequent visitor, especially since retiring. He even helped fund and build the clubhouse when he had some down time in 2006.
About the only thing the four-time All-Star didn’t boast is experience in dealing with NCAA rules and regulation as well as administrative paperwork.
There will also be a bit of a learning curve in assessing both returning personnel as well as the incoming players, most of whom are away playing in summer collegiate leagues. Percival plans to call of them in the next few days.
“I have already started going over some things. Among other things you have to have a leader. I prided myself on that when I was playing,” he said. “Well I have to get to now my team and find who is going to be that guy.”
Percival said he will make recruiting the Inland Valley a top priority. He says the talent pool is large enough he shouldn’t have to look elsewhere.
Wooldridge says the next goal of the administration is to upgrade the facility so the school can compete with the top contenders in the Big West. The upgrades will come gradually with the makeover of the infield being the first priority.
“This is our marquee sport,” Wooldridge said. “We have a great league and we have tradition here. But we have a lot to do as far as upgrading what we have. It’s been awhile since it has had any attention.”
The school jumped at the opportunity to promote its latest hire. For the next 40 days any person purchasing a season ticket will get an autographed baseball as well as the chance to attend an Angels game with Percival. Why the next 40 days? Well that’s the number he wore as the popular closer for the team and it’s the number he’ll where at UCR as well.
Percival said he draws a lot from his mentors in the sport, most notably Angels manager Mike Scioscia as well as Rays manager Joe Maddon, the bench coach for the Angels when Percival played here.
Percival says he has also had many talks with former teammate Darin Erstad, currently the head coach at Nebraska. The two already have discussed dates for their teams to play each other, although it won’t be until 2017 after the current scheduling cycle runs out and most likely will be in Arizona during spring training for big league teams. Erstad also had to deal with making a transition to an NCAA institution.
“He said the first six months are miserable, you just have to get through it,” Percival said.
