Retired OSU coach Pat Casey settles into new assistant role

KERRY EGGERS ON SPORTS/PORTLAND TRIBUNE/No regrets, says Oregon State's former baseball skipper, 'but I miss it'

CORVALLIS — Seated and ready to dive into a lunch plate of chicken salad at Clodfelter's, Pat Casey is greeted by an acquaintance/well-wisher.

"How you doin', coach?' the gentleman says, shaking Casey's hand warmly. "What are you doing now?"

"I'm senior assistant athletic director," Casey says with a smile. "They call that 'SAAD.'"

But Casey isn't sad. He looks rested and relaxed, little more than three months after he announced his retirement following 24 years as Oregon State's head baseball coach.

The man who guided the Beavers to three national championships retired — or resigned, if you will — on Sept. 6, citing exhaustion and fear that he wouldn't be able to give 100 percent of himself to the task at hand.

Since then, Casey has served as a special assistant to athletic director Scott Barnes, primarily in the area of fundraising.

"It seems like it's been forever since I announced my retirement," Casey muses, "but really, there hasn't been a lot of time to do much yet."

Oregon State is in the midst of working on several projects within the athletic department's facilities master plan, including completing Reser Stadium's renovation, an upgrade of the P. Wayne Valley Sports Performance Center and a new multi-sport facility located in the area by the softball and soccer fields and the school's track.

"Scott has asked me to visit with some people who are donors," Casey says. "I've done that and am happy to do that. I'm available for him to have me help with other programs if someone wants help, but mostly right now is a time for me to sit down with some major donors and talk to them about what we're trying to do in all our sports. I'm trying to assist Scott in this campaign to raise funds for our facilities."

Barnes mentioned at the time of Casey's retirement, and the installation of associate head coach Pat Bailey as his interim successor, that Casey might be used to mentor other coaches within the OSU athletic department.

"I would be willing to do that and help in any way I could," Casey says. "But I'm not out there expecting that I need to assist people in coaching. We have great coaches. If somebody wants to seek me out to ask questions about certain things we have done over the past 24 years or things I've seen at Oregon State, great.

"But that hasn't happened. I've visited with a couple of coaches, but just real casual. I love sharing ideas, but that's not really my charge."

As might be expected, Casey has spent plenty of time in the OSU baseball office.

"I've communicated with Coach Bailey, asking about how they're doing," he says. "I go in there and bug those guys at least once a week. We talk baseball. I see some players who come through. But I have not helped them in any way other than assisting in fundraising."

Casey did not watch even one fall baseball practice session. He intentionally stayed away from Goss Stadium out of respect for Bailey and his assistant coaches.

"I felt I needed to stay away, mostly for the coaching staff," Casey says. "I didn't want them to feel I was there looking over their shoulders. Plus, for me, it would have made it more difficult."

For the first time in 32 years, Casey — who turns 60 in March — is not coaching a college baseball team.

"Until you get into an actual season, it's hard to tell how you feel about it," Casey says. "The thing I miss is the players. I miss the interaction with them. I don't miss the administrative things. I don't miss those things at all. I just miss being around the players and the coaches."

One of those players is son Joe, a sophomore outfielder who hit .500 in 14 at-bats as a redshirt freshman last season. Pat struggles with how he dealt with Joe's older brother, Brett, during his time playing baseball at OSU from 2007-09, but says similar feelings about coaching Joe were "none" of the reason why he retired in September.

"It's a unique situation I'm in," Casey says. "You miss day-to-day interaction with your son, but there are some things about having your dad as the coach that are difficult. You can be the star player or a bench guy, it doesn't matter. There are things that are difficult."

Asked if he will attend games at Goss next season, Casey responds, "If I have some place I can sit, I will."

In other words, a private place where all eyes won't be on him watching his former team — and his youngest son — play.

Has Casey experienced any regrets over his decision to retire as head baseball coach?

"There are no regrets, but I'm not naive to the fact that I miss it," he says. "There are days I wish I were out there coaching, and there are days I'm thankful I'm not in my office, trying to figure out why some kid didn't go to class."

Casey remains closely tied to the baseball program. He is proud of the many improvements made to Goss during his reign, the latest during this past offseason — including a new deck down the right-field line that Barnes said will be named "Casey's Corner."

"We have expanded the Omaha room, too," Casey says. "The goal is to get the right-field bleachers done permanently, and have a hitting area and a weight room underneath."

Casey's retirement as head baseball coach has left him with more family time, including with his first grandchild. Brett's son Carter, who just turned 2, gets plenty of attention from Pat and his wife, Susan.

"We really enjoy that," he says. "For me, (having more family time) has been great. Not sure about my wife. She's a competitor. She wants me to coach. She's not unhappy about me not coaching, but she likes the game. She also understands the stresses I've had."

When last season began, the 6-1 Casey weighed 185 pounds.

"When I got back from Omaha, I weighed 172 pounds," he says. "I was drained, but I don't think that's uncommon with head coaches.

"I'm back to normal now. I feel good. I'm young. I didn't step down because I thought I was old. I thought it was the best thing to do. I didn't do it not expecting to miss some things. Whether I miss them enough to want to get back into the game or not remains to be seen."

There is an avenue by which Casey could return as Oregon State's head baseball coach for the 2020 season. If he decides he would like to come back, he must request reassignment to Barnes by next June 1, or earlier if the school has already begun to negotiate with a prospective head coaching candidate.

When he retired, Casey recommended Bailey — his chief assistant for the past 12 years — to Barnes as his successor. Barnes chose to hire Bailey on an interim basis, leaving open a window should Casey decide to return.

"When I retired, I talked to 'Bailes' behind closed doors about, 'What if I do miss it? What if I do want to come back?'" Casey says. "He was nothing but supportive. He said, 'I don't want you to retire now.'"

Would Bailey be willing to step back into an assistant coaching role if Casey decides he wants to come back?

"Well, you'd certainly think so," Casey says.

Bailey affirms it.

" 'Case' has been the head coach here for 24 years," Bailey says. "He has won three national championships. If he decides he wants to come back, I'm 100 percent supportive of it.

"We're very good friends. We don't do a lot of stuff together off the field, but we have very similar philosophies, both in coaching and in life."

Casey, it should be noted, is not lobbying for the job. He's not sure he wants to return, and he doesn't want to undermine Bailey.

"I have such great respect for 'Bailes,'" Casey says. "He's doing just a great job."

Would Casey take a head baseball job at another school?

"I haven't even considered that," he says. "I've never done that in the past (though he has had many opportunities). I'm certainly not thinking about that at all."

Time will tell if Casey reassumes his old job. For now, he is an assistant AD, a man who hasn't left town for an extended vacation since his retirement as head baseball coach.

"The wife is headed to Palm Springs with some friends for a few days," he says, chuckling. "Some retirement plan, huh? The wife is in Palm Springs, and I'm sitting here in the rain at home."

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