PC: Kingston Introduced as Head Coach

A new era in Redbird baseball began June 10, 2009, when Mark Kingston was named Illinois State's ninth head baseball coach after serving the previous season as the team's associate head coach.

Kingston gave the Redbirds an immediate boost after joining the coaching staff last summer, signing one of the most talented fall recruiting classes in recent years. The 2009 Redbirds posted their first winning season and first postseason appearance since 2001. Kingston, who helped Illinois State set school records for wins and scoring as an assistant in 1999, sparked improvement on offense and defense as the Redbirds raised their team batting average and fielding percentage from the 2008 season.

Prior to returning to Illinois State, Kingston spent seven years as recruiting coordinator at Tulane University and served as an assistant on the Miami team that won the 2001 College World Series. He has coached at the collegiate level for 13 years, reaching 500 wins as an assistant in 2009, and was widely respected throughout the sport as one of the top assistants in the nation.

Kingston's eight-man recruiting class, vibrant personality and knowledge of the game have already energized the Illinois State baseball program. These elements, along with the recently renovated stadium at Duffy Bass Field, Illinois State's rich baseball history and position as a top-level institution, prompted Baseball America's Aaron Fitt to call Illinois State baseball a "perfect storm" when Kingston was hired last August.

"This is a guy that I think would have been a fit at any of the top programs in the country looking for a head coach," Fitt said. "There's a lot of work to be done, but I think the foundation is there with the facilities improvements. It sounds like the perfect storm really. You can contend for a national title in the Missouri Valley Conference - and Wichita State has proven that. You need to have the right mix of a good coaching staff and quality facilities and it looks like Illinois State is going down the right road there."

Kingston spent five seasons as associate head coach for the Green Wave with the responsibility of building the Tulane team through recruiting, coaching Tulane hitters and developing catchers and infielders. At Tulane, Kingston's recruiting and coaching efforts helped the Green Wave to six postseason appearances, two NCAA Super Regionals and a berth in the College World Series. The 2005 Green Wave team was seeded as the top-team overall while also receiving the top-academic honor in Omaha. Tulane averaged nearly 42 wins per season with Kingston on staff.

Praised by many for his ability to transfer knowledge to his players and develop talent, Kingston also has a knack for finding and recruiting talented players. In six of his seven seasons as recruiting coordinator for the Green Wave, Kingston's classes ranked in the top-25 in the nation. Kingston signed eight of the nation's Top-100 prospects in 2003 and 2004, and the 2005 class was tabbed as the No. 4 class in the country by Baseball America.

Kingston recruited or coached seven players who became All-Americans at Tulane, including James Jurries (2002) and Michael Aubrey (2003). The Green Wave sluggers became the first hitters in 18 years to hit .400 for the season and both earned Conference USA Player of the Year recognition. Aubrey was selected by the Cleveland Indians 11th overall in 2003, the highest Tulane player ever taken in the Major League Draft.

Prior to joining the Green Wave staff, Kingston spent two years coaching at Miami (Fla.), where he helped the Hurricanes capture the 2001 College World Series as the No. 1 overall seed. While at Miami, the Hurricanes finished with top-five school single-season marks in batting average, runs scored and slugging percentage, and led the nation with 228 stolen bases in 2001. In the run to the 2001 national title, the `Canes had an NCAA-best 17-0 run to end the season and set a College World Series record with 12.3 runs per game while hitting .373 as a team in Omaha.

Under Kingston's tutelage, two Hurricanes players earned All-America honors, three earned Freshman All-America recognition, rookie Kevin Howard was named the 2000 Baseball America National Freshman of the Year and 18 players went on to sign professional contracts.

Kingston previously spent one year as an assistant with the Redbirds and helped put together one of the most impressive seasons in school history. The 1999 Redbirds set a school record for wins in a season (35), runs scored, RBI, doubles, hits and walks, while finishing second in school history in home runs, total bases and batting average.

Kingston got his start in coaching at Purdue. In two seasons, he worked his way into the top assistant position while helping the Boilermakers post three of the top-seven batting averages in school history. Kingston helped Purdue place five position players on the All-Big 10 Team after not posting any the year before his arrival.

The Northern Virginia native played professionally for five seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs organizations. Drafted by the Brewers out of North Carolina in 1992, Kingston spent one season with Milwaukee's rookie-level team before going on to play for Peoria (A), Daytona (Advanced A) and Orlando (AA) in the Cubs organization.

As a player at North Carolina, Kingston was part of the 1989 Tar Heels squad that won an Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title and advanced to the College World Series, and helped the team win the ACC Tournament and advance to NCAA Regionals in 1990 as a sophomore. Kingston received the Trippe Bourne "Most Dedicated Player" Award for his outstanding work ethic and leadership during his junior campaign, and was named a team captain his senior season.

Kingston attended Potomac High School, where he developed into a Collegiate Baseball Top-50 Prospect and was drafted by the New York Yankees after leading his team to the 1988 state championship. In 2006, Kingston was inducted into the Potomac Hall of Fame.
In all, Kingston owns a 500-279-2 (.640) record as an assistant coach in 13 seasons in the college ranks. Kingston has coached eight teams to NCAA Tournament berths, four teams that appeared in NCAA Super Regionals, and two that participated in the College World Series.

Kingston and his wife, the former Letitia Kelly, have three children, Kailyn Grace, Cameron James and Kathryn Patricia. He also wrote and produced two instructional videos for Championship Productions, "Keys to Consistent Hitting" and "Catching Drills and Fundamentals". He also was the only assistant coach chosen to write a chapter in "The Baseball Drill Book" produced by the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Rick Jones, Tulane Head Coach
"In Mark's seven years as a recruiting coordinator at Tulane, we made six NCAA appearances, one College World Series, and overcame Hurricane Katrina. He will prove to be one of college baseball's great head coaches and Illinois State is fortunate to have him."

Jim Morris, Miami (Fla.) Head Coach
"I know Mark very well on the field and off the field. He's a very, very classy young man with a nice family. He's a very hard worker that's done everything he could do to better himself in baseball - from playing at North Carolina to playing professional baseball, to working at the University of Miami and with different schools, and going with us to win a national championship. There's no doubt in my mind - no doubt - that Mark Kingston will be an outstanding head coach that will get it done on the field, but will also represent the university with the utmost class."

Jeff Stewart, former Illinois State Head Coach and current San Diego Padres scout
"I've been asked about Mark several times and he's quite simply a guy that I can't say a single negative thing about. He's a wonderful friend, a very endearing individual. He makes great first impressions with anybody that he meets. He's obviously a great husband and father because he's got a wonderful family. Where baseball is concerned, he's well-versed because of his playing and coaching career. Probably more important, one of the things that Mark is really blessed with is the ability to sell and teach the game to others. I knew when I hired him as a number two assistant a number of years ago that I had gotten so lucky. Mark was a great, great addition to our staff back then and he's taken a course to prepare himself for this day. Obviously, Illinois State's going to reap the benefits - he's as good as they come."

Aaron Fitt, Baseball America College Baseball Writer
"I think it's a phenomenal hire. Simply put, he's one of the very best recruiters in the country and he's built a reputation on that. He's been a big part of turning Tulane into an annual, national contender. I think it's a really tremendous hire. We've had him on our short list of leading candidates to become a head coach for the last five or six years. Every time there's an opening, he's a name that we hear, and is someone that we recommend to people that are looking for an up-and-coming coach. He's got so much energy and the way he connects with people is unique - that's part of what makes him such a good recruiter. He's a very good evaluator of talent. It's the combination of all those things that make me think he'll be a terrific head coach.

"Everybody (in the Missouri Valley Conference) has been chasing Wichita State for decades and to get a guy like Mark Kingston is exactly the kind of hire that you want to make if you want to close that gap. This is a guy that I think would have been a fit at any of the top programs in the country looking for a head coach. There's a lot of work to be done, but I think the foundation is there with the facilities improvements. It sounds like the perfect storm really. You can contend for a national title in the Missouri Valley Conference - and Wichita State has proven that. You need to have the right mix of a good coaching staff and quality facilities and it looks like Illinois State is going down the right road there."

Will Kimmey, ESPN College Baseball Analyst
"Mark Kingston has all qualities a school would want in a head coach. He's smart and well-spoken, so he'll represent the university well. He's proven to be a great recruiter who works hard and trusts his abilities as an evaluator, allowing him to beat other schools for some sought-after recruits while also discovering lesser-known ones who turn out to be key players down the road. And he's learned from two of the best college coaches in the business, Jim Morris and Rick Jones, making trips to Omaha as an assistant to each of them after going as a player at North Carolina. Overall, it's a smart, savvy hire for Illinois State to be able to bring in a coach with Kingston's background and abilities."

Kendall Rogers, Rivals.com College Baseball Editor
"Illinois State made a slam dunk by hiring Tulane associate head coach Mark Kingston. Kingston is hailed as a very good recruiter, and obviously learned from a good coach in Tulane's Rick Jones. While the Redbirds failed to make noise in the Missouri Valley last season, Kingston's addition starts a new era. It also brings some star power to a program needing it in the worst way. ISU showed it's serious about becoming a winner in the MVC."

Micah Owings, Arizona Diamondbacks Pitcher and 2007 NL Silver Slugger Award Winner
"Looking back at my career, I learned more from Coach Kingston about hitting than any other hitting coach that I've ever had. He said many of the same things that I had heard before, but from the time I was with him everything seemed to click. We share a passion for the game, hitting, and working hard. That was demonstrated by his willingness to help and countless hours in the cage. Without a doubt in my mind, God placed Coach Kingston in my life during a critical point in my career. This came just after I had transferred to Tulane and left my home in Atlanta. I'm blessed to have had this man and his family come in to my life and continue to share a close relationship with him. I look forward to seeing what he can do at Illinois State I look forward to seeing what he can do as the skipper and send my encouragement and support."

23 | Mark Kingston

1
National Championship
As an assistant coach, Kingston helped the 2001 Miami Hurricanes win the College World Series and capture a national championship

1
Appearance in the College World Series as a player
Kingston received his first taste of the College World Series as a player for the North Carolina team that advanced to Omaha in 1989

1
National Freshman of the Year coached
Miami's Kevin Howard was named National Freshman of the Year in 2000 while Kingston served as assistant coach

2
Appearances in the College World Series as an assistant coach
Kingston has made two trips to the College World Series, one with Miami in 2001 and another with Tulane in 2005

4
NCAA Super Regional appearances
Kingston has served on four teams that have advanced to NCAA Super Regional play including Miami in 2000 and 2001 and Tulane in 2004 and 2005

6
40-win seasons in 12 years as an assistant
Six teams with Kingston on staff have won 40-or-more games, including two teams that produced 50 wins or more

8
NCAA Tournament appearances
Kingston helped coach teams to the NCAA Tournament from 2000-06 and in 2008

8
Freshman All-American selections
Eight players have won Freshman All-American honors under Kingston

10
All-American selections
Kingston has coached 10 players who were selected as All-Americans

12
Winning seasons in 13 seasons
Kingston's teams win games as evidenced by 12 winning seasons in 13 years as an assistant

38
Average number of wins by teams with Kingston on staff

49
All-Conference selections coached
In 13 seasons, Kingston has helped 49 players receive All-Conference honors

500
Wins as an assistant coach
Kingston reached 500 wins as an assistant coach while helping the Redbirds clinch their first postseason berth since 2001