Prado, Shouppe Possible Candidates for USF Job

[Ricky the Bull]

Prado, Shouppe Possible Candidates For USF Job

By BRETT McMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 1, 2006

TAMPA - Louisville coach Lelo Prado and Florida State associate coach Jamey Shouppe said they may be interested in becoming the University of South Florida's next baseball coach.

"I have a great situation here at the University of Louisville, but Tampa is my hometown," Prado said. "It's where all my family is and where I've had some great experiences at the University of Tampa winning two national championships."

Besides UT, Prado, a 1981 Tampa Catholic graduate, also coached the 2002 USA National Team.

In 2002, Prado led the Cards to the school's first NCAA Tournament and became the school's winningest coach this season. In 11 seasons at UL, Prado is 320-301-1.

Shouppe has been at FSU the past 16 seasons and has been FSU's recruiting coordinator since 1990 and pitching coach since 1993. Eleven FSU recruiting classes under Shouppe have been ranked among the top 10. FSU is in its 29th NCAA regional this weekend in Athens, Ga.

"My focus is winning a regional at the University of Georgia," Shouppe said. "When the time is right I would like to be considered."

Another candidate could be USF softball coach Ken Eriksen, but he was noncommittal. "It's a position that would pique anyone's interest, but I don't think it's appropriate to comment at this time out of respect for Coach [Eddie] Cardieri," Eriksen said.

Eriksen played baseball at USF from 1981-84, the final two seasons when Cardieri was an assistant. Eriksen has been USF's softball coach since 1996, leading the Bulls to seven NCAA Tournaments. He also was an assistant on Team USA's Olympic softball gold-medal winning team in 2004.

USF associate coach Nelson North is another possible candidate, but he declined comment. Other possible candidates with local ties: University of Tampa coach Joe Urso, Maryland coach Terry Rupp, Stetson assistant Bryan Peters, a former USF assistant and player, and former major-league second baseman Jody Reed.

Whoever is USF's next coach will likely require a larger salary. Cardieri's $64,000 salary ranked as the third-lowest among the 61 BCS schools with baseball programs.

http://www.tbo.com/sports/bulls/MGBD716JWNE.html

[Brad]

Rupp was the gent I mentioned here a few weeks ago...would have been a nice fit about 5 years ago...out of UT...but we were stuck in neutral.

[CyberBull]

Prado is the guy I have been touting for a couple of years. Seems like  a natural fit.

[bull2saintleo]

Bring on the FSU assistant, FSU seems to have fielded a decent squad recently (except for this season, but yet on the good side, they made the CWS Tourney)

[Brad]

Prado is the guy I have been touting for a couple of years. Seems like  a natural fit.

What say you about that won-loss % up there?  I would have expected a bit more out of a Tampa product rolling in all that UL dough...I guess perhaps he resurrected that program?  Why would he be talking so openly about the USF job?  Looking for a new deal at UL?  Seemed sort of strange to me.

[pdiddybull32]

Fsu candidate impresses me because of the recruiting aspects! We need a recruiter and he seems to be at the top of coach/recruiters.

[Rabbi Bull]

please don't included Coach Ken Erikson as a possibility for the head coach of the baseball team, he is staying with softball

fixed it, sorry i was half asleep when i wrote it at 3 am

[Apis Bull]

please don't included Coach Eddie Cardieri as a possibility for the head coach of the baseball team, he is staying with softball

Don't you mean Coach Eriksen?

[flsportsfan83]

please don't included Coach Eddie Cardieri as a possibility for the head coach of the baseball team, he is staying with softball

???

[Paisa el Toro]

What say you about that won-loss % up there?  I would have expected a bit more out of a Tampa product rolling in all that UL dough...I guess perhaps he resurrected that program?  Why would he be talking so openly about the USF job?  Looking for a new deal at UL?  Seemed sort of strange to me.

I was thinking the same thing about Prado's win-loss% at Louisville. I wonder why it isn't better than that. Would any Cards fans lurking on this board care to elaborate?

The FSU assistant, Shouppe, is an intriguing prospect because of his apparent recruiting prowess. It'll be interesting to see how this all pans out. I'm leaning towards the assistant from FSU.