Current position | |
---|---|
Title | Head coach |
Team | Pittsburg State |
Conference | The MIAA |
Record | 31–21 (.596) |
Annual salary | $81,318 [1] |
Biographical details | |
Born | Lenexa, Kansas | August 9, 1966
Playing career | |
1988–1991 | Emporia State |
Position(s) | Catcher [2] |
Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
1991–1996 | Butler CC (pitching) |
1996–2003 | Fort Hays State |
2004–2018 | Emporia State |
2019–present | Pittsburg State |
Head coaching record | |
Overall | 1011–445 (.694) |
Tournaments | 22–26 (.458) |
Accomplishments and honors | |
Championships | |
5 MIAA regular season 2 MIAA Tournament 4 RMAC regular season 1 RMAC Tournament | |
Awards | |
2× RMAC Coach of the Year (1997, 2000) West Region Coach of the Year (2000) | |
Robert William Fornelli (born August 9, 1966) is an American college baseball coach and current head baseball coach at Pittsburg State University. Previously, Fornelli coached at his alma mater Emporia State University from 2004 to 2018 where he guided the Hornets to five Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association regular season championships and two conference tournament championships, 13 trips to the NCAA Tournament, two World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish. [3] Fornelli was the coach at Fort Hays State from 1996 to 2003.
After graduating from Emporia State in 1991 and playing four years at Emporia State, Fornelli spent five seasons as Butler Community College's pitching coach. [4]
In 1996, Fornelli became head coach of the Fort Hays State Tigers. During his seven years, Fornelli compiled a 306–113 record. In 2003, the Tigers won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference regular season and postseason tournament titles. Fornelli is the winningest coach in FHSU history and led the Tigers to the RMAC championship four times in his seven years. Fornelli led FHSU to the NCAA Division II national championship game in 2000 and was in the NCAA regional tournament six times. [5]
In May 2003, Fornelli left Fort Hays State for his alma mater. [6] former Emporia State player under Embery, was named the head coach. [7] Since 2004, Fornelli has taken the Hornets to the NCAA Tournament 10 times, have made 2 World Series appearances and a national runner-up finish in 2009. [8] The Hornets finished the 2006 season by winning the MIAA Regular Season Championship and NCAA Central Region Championship, as well as advancing to the school's first NCAA World Series appearance. [9]
In 2009, the Hornets advanced to the school's first NCAA national championship game in Cary, North Carolina. [10] In 2014, the Hornets won the MIAA Tournament, and earned another trip to the NCAA Tournament. In 2016, Fornelli picked up his 800th overall win. [11]
On April 25, 2018, Fornelli became the winningest head baseball coach in Emporia State history with 558 wins. [12] A week later on May 6, 2018, Fornelli captured his 900th win overall. [13]
On June 4, 2018, local radio station KVOE (AM) reported that Fornelli had accepted the head coaching job at in-state MIAA rival, Pittsburg State University, after 15 seasons at his alma mater. [14] He was formally introduced the next day, June 5. [15]
Head coach record (1996–present) — Year-by-year record | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
Fort Hays State Tigers (Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference)(1997–2003) | |||||||||
1997 | Fort Hays State | 48–15 | NCAA Tournament | ||||||
1998 | Fort Hays State | 44–14 | NCAA Tournament | ||||||
1999 | Fort Hays State | 35–22 | NCAA World Series appearance | ||||||
2000 | Fort Hays State | 54–12 | NCAA Runners-up | ||||||
2001 | Fort Hays State | 37–19 | NCAA Tournament | ||||||
2002 | Fort Hays State | 43–16 | |||||||
2003 | Fort Hays State | 45–15 | |||||||
Fort Hays State: | 306–113 (.730) | ||||||||
Emporia State Hornets (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association)(2004–2018) | |||||||||
2004 | Emporia State | 36–22 | 18–11 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2005 | Emporia State | 41–20 | 19–11 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2006 | Emporia State | 48–13 | 25–4 | NCAA World Series appearance | |||||
2007 | Emporia State | 41–24 | 24–12 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2008 | Emporia State | 50–10 | 32–4 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2009 | Emporia State | 49–14 | 29–7 | NCAA Runners-up | |||||
2010 | Emporia State | 42–16 | 31–9 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2011 | Emporia State | 43–12 | 37–7 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2012 | Emporia State | 26–22 | 20–18 | ||||||
2013 | Emporia State | 27–22 | 24–18 | ||||||
2014 | Emporia State | 42–19 | 26–14 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2015 | Emporia State | 39–16 | 23–12 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2016 | Emporia State | 39–19 | 27–12 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2017 | Emporia State | 42–13 | 29–6 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
2018 | Emporia State | 34–24 | 20–16 | NCAA Tournament | |||||
Emporia State: | 599–266 (.692) | 384–161 (.705) | |||||||
Pittsburg State (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association)(2019–present) | |||||||||
2019 | Pittsburg State | 31–21 | 20–13 | ||||||
2020 | Pittsburg State | 14–8 | 4–2 | ||||||
2021 | Pittsburg State | 30–16 | 21–12 | ||||||
2022 | Pittsburg State | 31–21 | 22–11 | ||||||
Pittsburg State: | 106–66 (.616) | 67–38 (.638) | |||||||
Total: | 1011–445 (.694) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion |
Emporia State University is a public university in Emporia, Kansas, United States. Established in March 1863 as the Kansas State Normal School, Emporia State is the third-oldest public university in the state of Kansas. Emporia State is one of six public universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents.
Garin Higgins is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach for Emporia State University, a position he has held since 2007. Higgins previously served as the head football coach at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from 2000 to 2004. His Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers finished as runners-up in the NAIA Football National Championship in 2000 and 2003. Higgins worked as co-offensive coordinator at Minnesota State University, Mankato and offensive coordinator at Northeastern State University in 2006.
The Emporia State Hornets are the athletic teams that represent Emporia State University (ESU). The women's basketball and softball teams use the name Lady Hornets. The university's athletic program fields 15 varsity teams in 11 sports all of whom have combined to win 50 conference championships as well as three national championships. Corky the Hornet serves as the mascot representing the teams, and the school colors are black and gold. Emporia State participates in the NCAA Division II and has been a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) since 1991.
The Emporia State Hornets football program is a college football team that represents Emporia State University. The team competes as a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which is a conference in the NCAA Division II. The program began in 1897 and has fifteen conference titles. On December 15, 2006, former Hornets quarterback Garin Higgins became the team's 24th head coach, following the resignation of Dave Wiemers. Home games are played on Jones Field at Welch Stadium, located on the Emporia State University campus in Emporia, Kansas. In August 2017, Hero Sports named Emporia State the "best football team in Kansas, regardless of division".
The Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represents Emporia State University and competes in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) of the NCAA Division II. On April 28, 2023, Brian Ostermann was announced as the eighth head coach.
Jory Michael Collins is an American women's college basketball coach currently serving as the head coach for the North Dakota State program. From 2010 until 2018, Collins was the head coach at Emporia State University. Collins led the Emporia State Lady Hornets to eight consecutive winning seasons. Collins is the second winningest coach in Emporia State history with a record of 199–58 (.774).
The 2014 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2014 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium, in Emporia, Kansas as they have done since 1937. 2014 was the 121st season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his 14th overall season, and eighth overall at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
The 2014–15 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2014–15 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the Lady Hornets' 41st basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by head coach Jory Collins, who finished his fifth season at the helm of the Lady Hornets. The team played its home games on Slaymaker Court at William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, its home court since 1974. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Brandon Schneider is an American college women's basketball coach at the University of Kansas. Schneider was previously the head coach, from 2010 to 2015, for Stephen F. Austin State University, and from 1998 to 2010 at Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II school located in Emporia, Kansas, where he led the team to the 2010 National Championship.
The Emporia State Hornets basketball team represents Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas, in the NCAA Division II men's basketball competition. The team is coached by Tom Billeter, who is in his first season as head coach. The Hornets compete in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Brian Shay is a former American football running back, who played for the Emporia State Hornets from 1995 to 1998. While at Emporia State, Shay broke various NCAA records and was the Harlon Hill Trophy winner in 1998. Shay is one of the all-time rushing leaders in the NCAA Division II.
The 2015 Emporia State Hornets football team represented Emporia State University in the 2015 NCAA Division II football season. The Hornets played their home games on Jones Field at Francis G. Welch Stadium in Emporia, Kansas, as they have done since 1937. 2015 was the 122nd season in school history. The Hornets were led by head coach Garin Higgins, who finished his fifteenth overall season, and ninth at Emporia State. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
The Emporia State Hornets baseball team represented Emporia State University in NCAA Division II college baseball. The team participated in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association. The teams played its home games on Glennen Field at Trusler Sports Complex, located just north of the Emporia State campus, and are coached by Brad Hill.
The 2015–16 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2015–16 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the 42nd Lady Hornets basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by 6th year head coach, Jory Collins. The team played its home games on Slaymaker Court at William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, its home court since 1974. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Val Schierling is an American former college women's basketball coach. He coached at Emporia State University from 1981 to 1995. Before coaching at his alma mater, Schierling coached the Chaparral High School girls' basketball team for seven years.
The 2017–18 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2017–18 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the 44th Lady Hornets basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by eighth-year head coach Jory Collins. The team played their home games on Slaymaker Court at William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, the home court since 1974. Emporia State was a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
The 2016–17 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the 43rd Lady Hornets basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by 7th-year head coach, Jory Collins. The team played their home games on Slaymaker Court at William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, the home court since 1974. Emporia State was a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
The 2018–19 Emporia State Lady Hornets basketball team represented Emporia State University in the 2018–19 NCAA Division II women's basketball season, which was the 45th Lady Hornets basketball season. The Lady Hornets were led by first-year head coach Toby Wynn. The team played their home games on Slaymaker Court William L. White Auditorium in Emporia, Kansas, the home court since 1974. Emporia State is a member of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Toby Daryl Wynn is an American former college women's basketball coach, serving from 2018 to 2023 at Emporia State University.leading the Lady Hornets to three NCAA Tournament appearances in five years, and from 2005 to 2018, for Seward County Community College, where he led the Lady Saints to four conference championships, 20-plus wins for 13 consecutive years, and appeared in the NJCAA Tournament in four seasons.
Seth M. Wheeler is an American former college baseball coach and previously served as head coach at Emporia State University from 2019–2023. Prior to Emporia State, Wheeler served as an assistant coach focusing on pitchers at Emporia State, and served as the Junction City Brigade manager from 2015 to 2017. Wheeler played for the University of Central Missouri.