Head Coach Andy Rushing
Andy Rushing has just finished his 14th season as head coach of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Bulldogs. This season, Coach Rushing led his Bulldogs to a 44-20 record. Â鶹ÊÓƵ won the TranSouth Conference regular season and tournament championship in 2002. This was the second regular season conference championship in three years. He participated in his third consecutive regional tournament and his fourth in the last five seasons. Rushing, a 1976 graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ University, has put together nine consecutive 30-win seasons and has three 40-win seasons in the past five years. In 2001, Rushing earned his 500th career victory on March 17 as his Bulldogs defeated Lipscomb University. Rushing's squad finished the season as the No. 8 ranked team in the NAIA and reached as high as No.4 during the season.
Rushing began his coaching career at South Side High School in Jackson. There he won a pair of district championships and compiled a 59-34 record. Rushing then turned his attention to the collegiate level by serving as head coach for four years at Lambuth College. While at Lambuth, Rushing was named the 1987 TCAC Coach of the Year while leading the Eagles to a school record 27 victories and a first ever playoff appearance.
As a player at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Rushing was named the Most Valuable Player in 1976 while batting .378 and earned his third Outstanding Defensive Player award. During his playing career at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Rushing played all nine positions, but found his talents best suited the catching spot. Rushing served as Â鶹ÊÓƵ's team captain for two seasons before heading to Memphis State University where he received a master's degree in 1980.
Rushing has compiled a 18-year coaching record of 569 wins and 391 losses (59%), earning his 500th career win in a double-header sweep over Lipscomb University on March 17, 2001. His 14-year Â鶹ÊÓƵ record is 485-293 (62%). Rushing has been named TCAC Coach of the Year twice (1987, 1995), NCCAA MidEast Region Coach of the Year (1998), TranSouth Coach of the Year twice (2000, 2002), NAIA Region Coach of the Year (2000), ABCA Region Coach of the Year (2000), and has led the Bulldogs to two conference championship and one conference co-championship, five district tournaments, and six regional tournaments. He has served as Chairman of the Conference Baseball Committee for nine years and region chair for three seasons.
He is married to the former Susan Clark of Jackson and has three children, Amy, Jennifer, and Kelly.
Assistant Coach Brent Fronabarger
Brent Fronabarger is now in his sixth season as assistant coach for the Bulldogs. Fronabarger spent the 1996 season at Huntingdon High School where he helped coach the Mustangs in both football and baseball. Fronabarger, a 1996 graduate of Â鶹ÊÓƵ University, has coached the Â鶹ÊÓƵ pitchers for five seasons and has continued the Bulldog tradition of good pitching, not only in the conference but nation wide.
Fronabarger, the 1995 Tennessee Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, holds the school records for Most Victories in a Season (13), Most Victories in a Career (33), Most Strikeouts in a Career (306), and Most Innings in a Season (117.2). In 1995, Fronabarger led the team with the lowest earned run average (1.97) and had a incredible 11-2 record.
Brent received a Bachelor of Science in physical education and health from Â鶹ÊÓƵ in 1995 and received a Master of Education degree from Â鶹ÊÓƵ in 1998. He is married to the former Sandy Cothran.
Graduate Assistant Coach Chuck Cooper
Chuck Cooper, now in his second season as part of the Bulldog coaching staff. He joined up with Â鶹ÊÓƵ in the summer of 2001 as he helped with the summer camps. Cooper is currently enrolled in graduate classes at Â鶹ÊÓƵ in Education.
Cooper is a 2001 graduate of Freed-Hardeman University Cum Laude with a major in Physical Education and a minor in Biology. He lettered three years in baseball as a catcher and was a student assistant coach for one season. In 1997, Cooper graduated from Oxford High School in Oxford, Mississippi where he lettered in baseball, football, and track.
In June of 2001, Chuck married the former Dawn Holmes of Jackson and they currently reside in Jackson.
Graduate Assistant Coach Jeff Wyatt
Wyatt begins his first season as a Â鶹ÊÓƵ graduate assistant after a stellar four year career as the Bulldog third baseman. During his senior year, Wyatt was named the TranSouth Conference Player of the Year, the NAIA Region XI Player of the year, and was named NAIA Second Team All-American. Wyatt also holds, 10 season and career records from his time at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. A few include most hits in a career (316), doubles in a career (68), runs batted in for a career (249), and total bases in a career (556). While at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Wyatt led the Bulldogs to three straight NAIA Region XI Tournament and two TranSouth Conference championships.
Wyatt is from Jackson as played his high school ball at South Side High School where he was a three sport star. Along with baseball, he played golf and ran cross country. Wyatt helped lead South Side to three district titles and was named all-district, best offensive player, district most valuable player, and all-region while playing for the Hawks.
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