FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Bill Tharp, Assistant SID
(540) 365-4498

April 19, 2007


Naff to Step Down as Baseball Coach at Ferrum
23-Year Skipper Remains as Panthers' AD

FERRUM, Va. - Ferrum College Head Baseball Coach Abe Naff has announced he will step down at the end of the season.  Naff has guided the Panthers for the past 23 seasons on the diamond.  Naff will continue in his role as Director of Athletics, a post he has filled since January of 2004.

In 23 years at the helm of the Panther baseball program, Naff has an impressive 635-234-3 career coaching record, a .730 winning percentage.  He has led the Panthers to 10 NCAA Division III playoff berths, including this year.

Ferrum has won nine USA South Athletic Conference baseball titles under Naff.  The 2007 season marks the first time that Ferrum has won both the regular season and tournament titles.  Ferrum won regular season titles in 1990, 1992, 1993, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007, and the tournament title in 2005 and 2007.  Ferrum was also the USA South (then the Dixie Conference) Tournament runner-up in 1996.

Naff ranks among the top five in NCAA Division III winningest active coaches, holding the #4 spot under the highest “winning percentage” category.  He is 7th among Div. III coaches in winning percentage in the past five seasons, and 14th among Div. III coaches in victories.

Perhaps more impressively is the fact that Naff is listed among the top-50 in all-time winning percentage among all divisions, holding the #26 spot.  He is one of only two coaches from the Commonwealth of Virginia listed in the all-time top-50.  Gerry Thomas, Naff's college coach at Lynchburg, is listed 32nd.

Naff has coached 20 All-Americans in his career, and 22 of his players have gone on to play some form of professional baseball.  Among those are current New York Mets closer Billy Wagner, a three-time Major League Baseball All-Star, and Eric Owens, who spent eight years in the pros and is currently a hitting instructor with the Anaheim Angels.  Additionally, Naff's teams have achieved success in the classroom, as evidenced by the 58 Academic All-Conference and three Academic All-District selections during his tenure as head coach.

Among Naff's honors are selection into the Lynchburg College Sports Hall of Fame and the Salem-Roanoke Baseball Hall of Fame.  He was the USA South Coach of the Year in 1989, 2003 and 2004.  Naff also was named Virginia Small College Coach of the year in 1990, 1192, 1993 and 2003.

Ferrum's USA South Tournament championship this season earns the team an automatic qualification into the 2007 NCAA Division III playoffs.  This will be Ferrum's 10th trip overall to the NCAA playoffs (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 2005, 2007).

Naff's last home game is set for Sunday, April 22, at 2 p.m. against Bridgewater College.  Prior to the game, the College will hold a special ceremony to honor Naff and his coaching career.

Associate Head Coach Darren Hodges has been named Naff's successor.  Hodges is currently in his ninth season with the baseball coaching staff.  He has helped Ferrum win or share USA South regular season titles in 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2007, as well as USA South Tournament titles in 2005 and 2007.

Hodges was a two time All-Conference selection as a pitcher with the Panthers in 1989 and 1990.  He led Ferrum to a 55-19 record and two appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs.  Hodges later went on to play professional baseball for the New York Yankees organization.  he spent five years with the club, including three years with the AA Albany (N.Y.) Yankees.

This year's NCAA baseball regionals will be held May 16-20 at sites yet to be determined.  The NCAA Division III Baseball site can be reached at: www.ncaasports.com/baseball/mens/schedules/diviii.

For more information, please contact Ferrum College Assistant Sports Information Director Bill Tharp at (540) 365-4498 or wtharp@ferrum.edu.

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