University of Central Oklahoma Athletics

Leone Named UCO Baseball Coach

6/17/2010 6:22:48 PM

EDMOND, Okla. (June 17) – Central Oklahoma athletic director Joe Muller announced Thursday that the Bronchos had named Dax Leone as head baseball coach.

Loene comes to UCO after serving the past year as an ssistant coach at Division I power Oklahoma State following previous stints as an assistant coach on the NAIA, Division I and Division II levels.

A product of Shawnee High School who played at Seminole State College and the University of Texas, Leone replaces legendary coach Wendell Simmons, who announced his retirement in April after 19 years at the UCO helm.

“As a native Oklahoman, Dax has a healthy appreciation for the caliber of baseball played in this state,” Muller said. “That, combined with his knowledge of the game through coaching at a variety of levels and his experience in recruiting, make him uniquely qualified to lead our program. We're excited about the future of UCO baseball.”

Leone, who earned bachelor's and master's degrees at East Central, started his coaching career as a student and graduate assistant with the Tigers.   He helped lead ECU to its only Lone Star Conference North Division championship during a three-year stint there before moving on to St. Gregory's.

Leone served as pitching coach for one year at SGU before becoming pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Seminole.   He was with the Trojans for one season, directing a staff that led the NJCAA in strikeouts and had seven pitchers sign Division I scholarships.

Leone went from Seminole to Division I Louisiana-Monroe, spending two and a half years there as pitching coach and recruiting coordinate.   He helped lead ULM to a Sun Belt Conference championship before spending the past year at OSU.

Leone becomes just the third baseball coach since the early 1960s for UCO, following lengthy tenures by Bobby Hunt and Simmons.

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