April 1, 2003
Head Baseball Coach Keith Madison
On his decision…
“In a lot of ways this is a happy day. I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to coach at the University of Kentucky for 25 years. I was one of those guys who grew up listening to Cawood (Ledford), listening to Dan Issel play on the radio, and my dream was to someday play basketball for UK. That didn’t work out and I wound up choosing baseball instead for my career. I’m so thankful for the opportunity I was given, and I don’t think people realize how special it is to coach at the University of Kentucky. It was a dream-come-true to work here. It’s a great place with great people.”
On why he made the decision during the season…
“It started about a week ago. The situation started weighing heavily on my heart, and I began to think that this was the time to do it. The more I thought about it, the more I talked about it with my wife and the more I prayed about it, the more I realized that this was the best time. It will give my very capable assistants a chance to seek employment elsewhere in baseball if that’s what they want to do. They’re a great bunch of guys. If I had waited until the end of the season, that would have cut them short. That’s one reason I decided to do this now.”
On his future plans…
“I have no idea where I’m going to be next. I want to continue to try to have an impact on young people’s lives somehow. I don’t know if that would be through my church, or through baseball. I want to say this about my team: we’ve struggled this season, particularly in conference play, and we’ve gotten off to a difficult start, but this is a great group of young people. It’s going to turn around. We’re going to have fun the rest of this year. I just want to dedicate myself to this team over the next eight weeks and work really hard and have a lot of fun with them. I would love to stay in Lexington. I love it here, and it’s a great city. It would be tough to move since both of my sons are here. But wherever God leads me is where I’ll go.”
On his players’ reaction upon hearing the news of his impending resignation…
“I told them today, right before practice. We got together in the dugout for a team meeting and I tried to explain to them what was going on. I saw some wet eyes in the dugout. This is not an easy thing to do, and it was very difficult to tell my wife, my family and my coaching staff, as well as the players.”
On whether he believes he has left the program in good shape…
“I do, and the staff that we have now will help the next manager recruit better. We’re really proud of the facility we have here. I think there are still some things that need to be done, and Mitch (Barnhart) and I have talked about that. There will be a time and place to talk about all of that. There are some great people who have donated money and materials, and who helped us out when we put the lights up. I’m very grateful to those donors who have done what they could for success in Kentucky baseball.”
Mitch Barnhart, Director of Athletics
On Keith Madison…
“I’ve only known Keith since August, but it’s evident he has an unbelievable commitment and is passionate about his faith and those around him. He’s left quite a legacy with this program. He’s been with this program for 25 years, and he’s built a foundation for the future. He has over 700 career wins and he’s had a top-10 appearance with this team. I know our hearts go out to him and our hat’s off to him for all the things he’s done with this program. He’s made progress with this stadium, and he’s seen players go on to the professional ranks. He has served as president of the American Baseball Coaches Association. The accomplishments he’s had in and around the game are amazing. The one thing that strikes a chord with me most of all is his great integrity; not only in the game of baseball, but to the University of Kentucky. He’s given of himself in a lot of different ways, not only to this university but to his community, as well. I appreciate everything he has done for baseball, for the university. My hat’s off to Coach Madison, and we wish him the best in all the things he has awaiting him.”
On how he learned of Madison’s decision…
“John Cropp, our athletics department liaison for baseball, called me and let me know Keith wanted to speak with me. We talked over at the ballpark while looking over the field for about an hour about what he was feeling, and he told me what he wanted to do.”
On the timeframe for choosing Madison’s successor…
“College baseball doesn’t end until late May or early June for most teams, so we’re not going to rush anything. There’s some great talent on this team, and I know we can win in baseball at Kentucky. Hopefully, we can bring someone in who brought many of the same qualities Coach Madison brought to the table. I’ve been on the NCAA Baseball committee for three years, and I’ve gotten the chance to watch some games across the country, and I hope we’ll be able to make an informed decision.”
