Illinois Trying to Woo Garrido Away From Fullerton Baseball Program

Neale Stoner, University of Illinois athletic director, wants to build a national championship-caliber baseball team at his school, and he knows just the coach to do it: Cal State Fullerton’s Augie Garrido.

“We’re going after him. We think he’s the best in the country,” Stoner said by telephone from Illinois Wednesday night. “We feel football, basketball and track are going well, and now we’re turning our sights to baseball. Augie is a quality person and coach, and I think we can give him the resources he needs to develop a quality program.”

Stoner, who said the school’s $2-million baseball facility was completed this spring, is looking to replace Tom Dedin, who was fired as coach earlier this month. Stoner is the former Titan athletic director who hired Garrido away from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1973.

Stoner hasn’t made Garrido an offer, but he is in the process of putting together a package he hopes will lure him away from Southern California.

“I think we’ve whetted his appetite,” Stoner said. “We can’t finalize anything until the first week of August, but we hope to bring him back for an interview before then.”

Garrido, who recently completed his 15th season at Fullerton, said he doesn’t have “an urgent need to leave here,” but he is interested in Illinois.

“Illinois is one of the finest academic universities in the country, and when they talk, I’d like to hear what they have to say,” Garrido said.

He added that the friendship he and Stoner have maintained over the years will be an important factor in his decision.

“I wouldn’t get into any situation with someone I didn’t trust or respect and feel a strong commitment from. But I also have that here, those same feelings of trust and respect.”

Ed Carroll, Fullerton athletic director, had given Stoner permission to talk to Garrido but is confident Garrido will remain at Fullerton.

“We feel he’s the best college baseball coach in America and, since Illinois wants to upgrade its program, it’s only natural that they want to talk to him,” he said. “But we feel Fullerton has more to offer.

“We are at the NCAA maximum in scholarships (13), and the baseball budget is at its highest level ever. Our conference (Pacific Coast Athletic Assn.) is stronger than the Big Ten, and the player pool in Southern California is well documented by major league rosters.”

Three Titans who played for Garrido are now playing in the major leagues: Tim Wallach (Expos), Jeff Robinson (Giants) and Greg Mathews (Cardinals).

Garrido, 47, who has a 667-292-6 career record at Fullerton, has guided four Titan teams to the College World Series and has won two NCAA championships, in 1979 and 1984. From 1974-84, he led the Titans to 11 consecutive conference championships. He earned national awards as coach of the year in 1975, ’79 and ’84.

His 1987 team went 44-17 and won the PCAA title but finished second to Louisiana State in the NCAA South II Regional Tournament.