KAZLAUSKY WON'T COACH AT AIR FORCE ANYMORE

0 Comments | Gazette, The (Colorado Springs), May 28, 2008 | by JAKE SCHALLER

Maj. Mike Kazlausky will not be part of the Air Force baseball coaching staff next season.

Kazlausky, a 1991 Air Force graduate and one of the best players in academy history, just completed the second season of his third stint as an Air Force assistant.

According to sports information director Troy Garnhart, Kazlausky was not fired and did not resign, but he and coach Mike Hutcheon decided they could not continue their working relationship.

Both Kazlausky and Hutcheon declined comment.

The loss of Kazlausky, who will continue to work in the academy's physical education department, is considered by some to be a significant blow to the struggling program. Current and former players have said "Coach Kaz" was a major reason for the team showing signs of improvement in 2008.

Air Force ended a 55-game Mountain West Conference losing streak in the recently completed season and won 18 games - up from eight in 2007. But the Falcons still finished last in the MWC for the fifth time in five seasons under Hutcheon.

Admiration for Kazlausky was evident in interviews The Gazette conducted with several players earlier this month for a story on the state of the baseball program.

Freshman Nate Carter said Kazlausky "is a great guy" and "has that work ethic and pushes us." Senior Chay Derbigny said Kazlausky "is a guy that works his tail off, and we love him for that." And catcher Josh Meents credited Kazlausky for the team's improved spirit.

"Just his attitude and that fiery, go-get-'em, always-intense approach, that really spread to the players pretty quickly," Meents said. "He made sure to set an example to always be here, always work hard."

None of the players' above comments were made in response to questions about Kazlausky. Carter and Derbigny were responding to questions about "the coaching staff," while Meents brought up Kazlausky on his own.

Kazlausky made the Air Force team in 1988 as a freshman walk-on and became a 4-year starter. The two-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection led the Falcons in batting in 1989 and 1991 and graduated with eight career records. The 2008 Air Force media guide refers to him as "one of the most inspirational and emotional players to ever wear the Air Force baseball uniform."

Kazlausky first served as an assistant from 1993 to 1995 - Air Force's second-, third- and fifth-most successful seasons in terms of winning percentage since first joining a conference in 1981. After serving as a C-17 pilot, he returned in 2000 for several seasons, including 2002 when Air Force set a record for Division I victories.

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CONTACT THE WRITER: 636-0365 or jake.schaller@gazette.com.