The Miami University RedHawks baseball team is keeping its manager around for the foreseeable future.
Head coach Brian Smiley agreed to a three-year contract extension with the program on Monday, Aug. 26, announced Miami Athletic Director David Sayler.
After a 2023 season that saw the RedHawks go 21-35 and release former head coach Danny Hayden, the program needed to be revitalized and find a different way to return to tournament play.
Enter Smiley, the 17th head coach in Miami baseball history who moved from Indiana State after 14 seasons with the Sycamores.
In his first season with the RedHawks, Smiley coached the team to a 27-27 record with a 17-13 Mid-American Conference (MAC) record, placing the program back in the MAC tournament for the first time and with their best record since 2019.
The 2024 season also saw the RedHawks explode for a nine-game win streak, the longest for the program since 2019.
Smiley helped his players achieve some important achievements this year as well. Outfielder Zach MacDonald earned a spot on the First-Team All-MAC, MAC All-Defensive and All-Region teams.
Left-handed pitcher Carson Byers and power-threat third baseman Ryland Zaborowski were also named First Team All-Mac.
The Detroit Tigers selected MacDonald in the 15th round of the MLB Draft. He was one of two RedHawks selected in the draft, the other being right-handed pitcher Peyton Olejnik. The Los Angeles Angels selected him in the sixth round.
Smiley was thrilled to be back in Oxford, mentioning that the Oxford community has been very welcoming to him and his family. His outlook for the program's future is ambitious but realistic.
"It's an absolute privilege to serve this incredible institution and athletic department,” Smiley said. “ The future is very bright, and I can't wait to get out on the field again this fall as we continue our quest of getting to the NCAA postseason and ultimately finishing in Omaha.”
If the first season under Smiley and his staff was a sign of things to come, the improvements made on the smaller parts of a nuanced game will continue to improve the overall record and push the RedHawks closer to a bid at the College World Series.
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Winning both a MAC championship and a College World Series is the goal, and under Smiley’s leadership, there’s plenty of optimism that the RedHawks will achieve those goals.
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