Casey Considering An Administrative Position

After 17 years as coach of the Oregon St. baseball team, Pat Casey is considering stepping out of the dugout, and into an administrative position in the athletic department.

"There have been conversations," Casey said Wednesday. "I can't tell you that it's something that I haven't been thinking about."

Casey, who was named the 2011 Pac-10 Coach of the Year, is half way through a 10 year contract he signed after winning the first of two College World Series in 2006, after turning down an offer to move to Notre Dame. The contract provided a beginning base salary of $230,000 a season, and also came with an assurance from Athletic Director Bob De Carolis that if at any point Casey wanted to step down as coach, a position in the athletic department would be available.

Casey also considered making the move to the administration after the 2008 season, but elected to stay with the team, and is now the second winningest coach in the history of the school behind Jack Riley, having posted a 578-356-4 record.

Casey, now 52, indicated that a decision about the move would be made by the end of summer. Such a move would leave associate head coach Marty Lees as the prime candidate to replace Casey in the Beaver's dugout.

Andy_Wooldridge@yahoo.com