Buddy Bolding
Head Baseball Coach
Phone: 434.395.2352
Email:
boldingcb@longwood.edu
Richmond Times-Dispatch Feature (April 16, 2009)
Charles Buddy Bolding is in his 33rd year at Longwood University during 2010-11. He has an outstanding overall record of 872-477-4 since taking over during the fall of 1978, including 29 winning seasons as mentor of the tradition-rich program. The Lancers finished 2010 with a final record of 28-20, additionally marking their 29th overall 20-win campaign and 22nd season with at least 25 wins in the program’s 33-year history. The University dedicated the baseball facility as Charles Buddy Bolding Stadium on October 3, 2009.
Longwood posted a winning record of 26-22 during 2009, following a 2008 season during which Coach Bolding reached his milestone 800 career coaching victories on March 8, 2008 with a 6-5 come-from-behind home win at the formerly known Lancer Stadium past Binghamton. The Lancers finished that year (2008) with a record of 23-26-1. Longwood posted a winning record of 34-19 during 2007, the program’s 12th 30-win season overall, following a 23-27 record during 2006.
Prior to playing its first Division I schedule in 2005, as required during the school’s four-year Division I Reclassification, Bolding had coached Longwood to 26 consecutive winning seasons (1979-2004). In 2005, however, the Lancers finished 16-32. Longwood had enjoyed a very successful campaign during 2004 with a record of 31-16 that capped a remarkable run of 24-straight 20-win seasons (1981-2004).
Bolding's tenure at Longwood is highlighted by six appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament, and two trips to the Division II College World Series. Bolding's 1982 team was the first team to reach the national championship with a 31-10-1 record. More recently, the 1991 squad completed a school-record 41-8 campaign while advancing to the final four of the national championship.
Longwood was third in the North Atlantic Region Tournament in 1993 after winning seven games in a row at season's end, finishing 26-9-1. Bolding teams have also notched third-place finishes in the North Atlantic in 1992 and the South Atlantic Region Tournament in 1984 and 1987. Bolding reached the 700-victory milestone March 9, 2004 with a 12-0 victory past Elizabeth City State at home during a doubleheader sweep (12-0, 7-6). Bolding reached 600 victories in 2000, 500 victories in 1997, 400 victories in 1993, 300 victories in 1990, 200 victories in 1986, and 100 victories in 1983.
Eight of Bolding's former players have been chosen in the Major League Baseball Draft (MLB) since 1988. Kansas City chose Longwood outfielder Frankie Watson (7th-R) and shortstop Kelvin Davis (24th-R) in 1988. The Royals drafted Lancer shortstop Michael Tucker (1st-R, #10 overall) and catcher Scott Abell (37th-R) in 1992. Outfielder LaRon Wilson (17th-R) was drafted by the New York Mets in 2002. Catcher Jeremy Knicely (42nd-R) was drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003. First baseman Charlie Yarbrough (7th-R) was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in 2006. Most recently, third baseman Phil Cerreto (43rd-R) was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2010. Additionally, outfielder Brian Medley signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Padres in 2004, and right-handed pitcher Paul Heidler II signed a free agent contract with the New York Yankees in 2009.
Tucker, the first-ever and only Olympic athlete from Longwood University, enjoyed a 12-year (1995-2006) career in Major League Baseball. He spent time with eight different teams, including Kansas City, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Chicago (Cubs), San Francisco, Philadelphia, Washington, and New York (Mets). Tucker was the 10th overall pick in the 1992 draft and played on the United States Olympic team that summer.
Bolding has served as one of just 31 coaches nationwide on The USA TODAY/ESPN Board of Coaches since 2008 for its weekly national poll, and will continue to do so for the fourth consecutive year in 2011. He is a former member of the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Division II National Committee, and was an area representative for the North Atlantic Region of the ABCA -- one of eight nationwide as a liaison between the region’s coaches and the ABCA advisory committee.
Highly regarded by his peers, Bolding has served on NCAA regional selection committees nine times. In 1983 he was a member of the Olympic baseball tryout staff for Virginia. He was voted South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year in 1991 and 1982, and Virginia College Division Coach of the Year in 1997, 1993, 1991, and 1984. Bolding has been chosen Longwood Male Coach of the Year a record seven times.
The Hardy, Virginia native has built the program at Longwood by recruiting mostly in-state players. An estimated 30-plus former Lancer baseball players are now involved in coaching on the high school or college level, the majority in the Commonwealth. Bolding is known to be close to his players.
"I feel he's a player's coach," former All-American shortstop John Sullivan ’84 once told a sportswriter. "He gets the most out of you he possibly can. When I got there I was a decent player, and when I left I was an All-American."
A highly successful high school coach, Bolding guided Staunton River High in Bedford County to a 47-22 mark in three years before coming to Longwood.
Bolding served as a U.S. Army medic in Vietnam, then received his Bachelor of Science degree in health, physical education and recreation from Milligan (Tenn.) College in 1973, and earned his Master of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in 1974.
He and his wife, Andrea, have three children: Lauren, Suzanne, and Brad -- all of whom attended and two who graduated -- from Longwood (Brad also played as a Lancer before graduating from Old Dominion University).
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