Scott Norwood, who took the UALR baseball program to its only NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, has resigned as the Trojans coach after a tumultuous season that ended with another losing record, his fourth in six seasons.
UALR Athletic Director Chris Peterson said Norwood, 47, was welcome to return to UALR for his seventh season, but said Norwood was exhausted by the season’s events, which included his team’s involvement in an on-field brawl during a game with Central Arkansas in April and a human resources investigation into Norwood after an assistant coach made allegations of physical and sexual harassment.
Scott Norwood’s year by year
UALR (6 years)
YEAR;REC.
2014;25-29
2013;28-28
2012;26-28
2011;24-34*
2010;29-25
2009;16-34
Ouachita Baptist (4 years)
2008;51-16^
2007;50-10
2006;31-24
2005;26-27
STERLING (KAN.)
2004;37-15
2003;35-15
2002;33-15
MERCYHURST (Pa.)
1999;26-18
TOTALS;437-318
*Reached NCAA Division I Tournament
^Reached NCAA Division II championship game
Peterson said he met with Norwood last Friday and again on Saturday, when Norwood made it clear he wouldn’t be returning.
“It was a long season,” Peterson said. “Losing isn’t fun.”
Norwood, 148-178 in six seasons, had one winning season (29-25) in 2010 and was 28-28 record in 2013, but the Trojans failed to make the Sun Belt tournament in four of his six seasons and didn’t win a tournament game in the 2013 tournament.
The highlight of Norwood’s tenure came in 2011, when the eighth-seeded Trojans went on a 4-0 run through the Sun Belt Tournament and earned a berth in the regional hosted by Oregon State.
UALR went 0-2 in the regional and finished the season 24-34.
Norwood’s sixth season ended with the Trojans (25-29 overall, 11-19 Sun Belt) coming up one victory short of qualifying for the Sun Belt Tournament.
UALR announced Norwood’s resignation in a news release Monday afternoon, stating Norwood was leaving to “pursue other interests.”
The release included a statement by Norwood: “I appreciate the opportunities that I have been given at UALR. I wish UALR success in the future.”
When contacted by phone later in the day, Norwood was asked if his resignation had anything to do with the investigation conducted by UALR’s Department of Human Resources into his conduct after former assistant Cole Gordon accused Norwood of physical and sexual harassment.
“Not one bit,” Norwood said.
The investigation was conducted after Gordon, who resigned April 21, filed a complaint.
But Norwood was not disciplined by the school after UALR’s month-long investigation found the allegations to be “without merit” and the investigation was “considered closed,” according to a letter sent from the school to Gordon on May 30.
Norwood came to UALR in 2009 after spending the previous four seasons at NCAA Division II Ouachita Baptist. He led the Tigers to a 158-77 record in 2005-2008, including a spot in the Division II national championship game in his final season.
Norwood had two years remaining on a five-year contract extension signed in 2011 that paid him $84,001 per year.
April was a difficult month for UALR and Norwood.
The Trojans were 11-14 on April 2 when they traveled to Conway to play Central Arkansas. In the 10th inning of that game, a bench-clearing fight that eventually led to the suspensions of seven players from both teams broke out. Norwood voluntarily sat out UALR’s next game.
On April 21, Gordon resigned as hitting coach. Gordon filed his formal complaint three days later, saying Norwood “physically grabbed my head or hit me,” and made “sexual comments” about a player’s girlfriend. In UALR’s response to those accusations, associate athletic director Richard Turner said Gordon told him of an incident in which Gordon overheard players saying Norwood bought alcohol for players.
UALR self-reported two recruiting violations on Gordon’s watch. The school said Gordon arranged for an unofficial visit for two recruits on April 17, which was during a dead period. Gordon also committed a violation when he didn’t immediately report the violation, UALR’s report to the NCAA said.
UALR pitching coach Chris Marx was named interim coach by Peterson, who said Marx will be considered for the full-time position. Marx was in his office at Gary Hogan Field on Monday afternoon, contacting recruits by phone and declined an immediate interview request.
Marx played for Norwood at Ouachita Baptist in 2005-2007, and came to UALR as an assistant coach in 2012. He spent his first two seasons as hitting coach, before becoming pitching coach at the start of this season. As recruiting coordinator, he helped UALR sign an 11-member class last fall that included two players who were selected in last week’s Major League Baseball first-year player draft.
Chris Gittens, a pitcher/infielder from Grayson (Texas) Community College, was selected in the 12th round by the New York Yankees and Eric White, a pitcher/infielder from Parkers Chapel, was picked in the 32nd round by the Milwaukee Brewers.
Sports on 06/10/2014