“We are delighted to welcome Randy into our Mountaineer family,” says Luck. “He is a blue-collar guy whose father was a coal miner, and
he was raised in Johnstown, Pa. He understands the work ethic that all Mountaineers share, and in that regard he is one of us.
“Randy is a down-to-earth person who has done a great job at TCU. He knows our regional recruiting area, as well as the traditional Big 12
recruiting areas. He’s a pitching coach who understands the importance of pitching in a top-flight conference like the Big 12, and I know he will bring in an excellent group of assistant coaches. Randy is smart,
very well respected in the college baseball community and understands
the challenges that we will face in the Big 12.”
Previously the head coach at East Carolina (2004-06) and Charleston
Southern (1994-96), Mazey has spent the last six seasons as an assistant
under Jim Schlossnagle at TCU, including the last three as associate
head coach. With Mazey on staff, the Horned Frogs have compiled a record
of 269-104 and won at least 40 games each season, including a 7-4
victory over Ole Miss on June 4 in the NCAA College Station Regional
Championship game. With the win, TCU advanced to its third NCAA Super
Regional round in the last four years.
Including this season, the Horned Frogs have made six NCAA Regional
appearances, three NCAA Super Regionals and one College World Series
during Mazey’s time at TCU.
“I am extremely thankful to Oliver Luck and West Virginia University
for giving me this opportunity,” says Mazey. “I am excited to be the
head baseball coach at such a fine university and look forward to the
journey into the Big 12 Conference and the challenge that lies ahead. I
also look forward to becoming part of the Mountaineer family, and I am
anxious to work with WVU’s administration, alumni, fans and the
Morgantown community to take this baseball program to new levels.”
During Mazey’s tenure, TCU has won six regular season and three
Mountain West Conference tournament titles. Additionally, prior to this
year’s draft, 15 pitchers have been drafted in the last five seasons
and four pitchers have earned All-America honors.
After winning a share of the 2012 Mountain West Conference
regular-season title, the Horned Frogs earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA
College Station Regional. TCU advanced to its fourth regional
championship game in program history with a 5-2 win over Ole Miss on
June 3; the Frogs previously advanced in 2007, 2009 and 2010. The
decisive victory on Monday night was the first time in school history
TCU won a Regional on the road. Additionally, it was the first time the
Frogs won four games in a Regional.
Mazey guided freshman right-handed pitcher Preston Morrison to the 2012
Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Pitcher of the Year awards. He is
the first-ever athlete in the conference’s history to earn both honors
in one season, and he also earned a spot on the All-Mountain West First
Team. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Andrew Mitchell also was named to
the first team, while junior right-handed relief pitcher Kevin Allen
scored a spot on the second team.
As a staff this season, TCU owns a 3.33 earned run average and has held
opponents to a .243 batting average. The Frogs have earned seven
shutouts, while two of Mazey’s pitchers have won nine games each.
The Horned Frogs will meet UCLA in the NCAA Super Regional on Friday,
June 8, at the Bruins’ Jackie Robinson Field.
In 2011, the Horned Frogs posted a 3.20 ERA, the lowest mark in program
history since 1970, and finished with 477 strikeouts, the fifth-best
program mark.
Mazey guided Matt Purke, who was distinguished as the 2010 consensus
National Freshman Pitcher of the Year by several publications, to the
Baseball America’s Freshman of the Year award. That season’s staff
produced two All-Americans and four pitchers earned all-conference
honors.
The Horned Frogs posted a league-best 484 strikeouts in Mazey’s first
season, while four pitchers earned all-conference honors. No fewer than
two pitchers earned All-Mountain West honors in the subsequent two
seasons.
In three seasons at ECU, Mazey put together a 120-66-1 (.644) record,
including a school-record 51-13 (.797) mark in his second season in
2004. ECU earned three trips to the NCAA Regionals under his watch.
Prior to a 35-26 campaign in 2005 and a third trip to the NCAA
Regionals, Mazey had arguably his most successful season as a head
coach, leading the Pirates to a Conference USA regular-season
championship with a 25-5 league mark and an NCAA Super Regional
appearance. ECU finished the year ranked as high as No. 8 in Baseball
America’s poll, and Mazey was named the C-USA Keith LeClair Coach of
the Year. Additionally, he was named the East Region Coach of Year by
the American Baseball Coaches Association.
Mazey earned his first head coaching opportunity at Charleston
Southern, as he accepted the position at the age of 27 in 1994. After
going 36-60 in his first two seasons, he led a CSU team, picked to
finish last in the 1996 preseason coaches’ poll, to an NCAA Regional
appearance, the Buccaneers first-ever bid, and a 30-24-1 mark, the
team’s first winning season since 1988 and its second 30-win season
in school history. Named the Big South Coach of the Year, Mazey directed
CSU to the Big South Championship.
In six seasons as head coach, Mazey has compiled a career record of
186-159-2 (.536).
Following that season, Mazey became the recruiting coordinator and
pitching coach at Georgia in 1997, where his staff produced its lowest
ERA in four years and set a strikeout record.
Mazey then spent the 1998 season at ECU as an assistant and also served
as the program’s recruiting coordinator. During his first tenure with
the Pirates, the team posted the third-highest strikeout total in school
history.
Mazey spent four seasons as the recruiting coordinator and pitching
coach at Tennessee. His staffs posted two of the top four strikeout
totals in school history, and he produced six Volunteer pitchers who
signed professionally, including one first-round draft pick. In 2000,
Tennessee had the second-best ERA in the Southeastern Conference. The
Vols advanced to the College World Series in 2001 and tied for third
place.
Mazey began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Clemson, his
alma mater, in 1990. During his four-year stint (1990-93), the Tigers
recorded a 198-67 mark, won two Atlantic Coast Conference titles, made
four straight NCAA Regional appearances and advanced to the College
World Series in 1991. He coached or recruited 40 players who went on to
play professionally, including 19 who were drafted in the top 10 rounds.
A three-time All-ACC selection as an outfielder/pitcher during his
playing career (1985-88) at Clemson, Mazey won two ACC titles with the
Tigers and advanced to two NCAA Regionals. He finished with a career
batting average of .331 and was 8-1 on the mound.
Mazey was drafted in the 28th round of the 1988 draft by Cleveland and
played two seasons in that organization’s minor league system before
returning to Clemson as an assistant coach.
A native of Johnstown, Pa., he earned a bachelor of science degree in
administrative management from Clemson in 1988 and an MBA from Clemson
in 1993. Following his prep career at United High in Johnstown, he was
an 11th round pick in the amateur draft by the Baltimore Orioles.
Randy and his wife, Amanda, have a son, Weston Aydan, and a daughter,
Sierra Miranda.