Schreiber To Step Down As Purdue’s Coach

Purdue announced Saturday longtime coach Doug Schreiber will step down following Sunday’s season finale against Cal State Northridge.

Schreiber is a Purdue alumnus and was a four-year starter at second base from 1982-1986. He became head coach in 1998, and is 484-510 in 18 seasons. He is the winningest coach in program history and led the team to the 2012 Big Ten Conference championship, its first since 1909.

The Big Ten championship was the highlight of Schreiber’s tenure. He was named Big Ten coach of the year as the Boilermakers won a program record 45 games and hosted a regional. The team has produced two big leaguers—Kevin Plawecki and Nick Wittgren.

Since that season, however, Purdue has not qualified for the Big Ten Tournament and has regressed in the standings every year, bottoming out in last place this season. The Boilermakers are 9-43 and will finish with their fewest victories since they went 7-24 in 1975.

In a statement, Schreiber thanked the Purdue administration for the opportunity to coach the Boilermakers.

“I am so proud of all the teams and players I have coached over the past 18 years: the teams that established a foundation of winning, the teams that fought hard and were close to greatness, the teams that struggled but never gave up, and certainly the 2012 team that was able to bring home a pair of Big Ten championships,” he said. “That was a special year, and I remain driven to succeed on that level.

“I care very deeply about Purdue University, the baseball program, and all of the players, coaches, alumni, support staff and fans, and would like to thank all of them for making this such a great experience for me and my family. However, I am also looking forward to the future and excited at this time to pursue new challenges and other opportunities of interest.”