BASEBALL | COACHES

Jim Brady | Baseball Head Coach

P: 314-516-5647
E: bradyja@umsl.edu

Jim Brady is entering his 24th season as head coach at UMSL and going into the 2008-09 year, he looks to continue the success the program has had throughout his coaching tenure.

Brady has a career record of 636-433-5, the most wins for any head coach in any sport in UMSL Athletics. Entering the 2008 season, he was ranked 16th among NCAA Division II active coaches for the most career wins (618) and was 32nd among Division II active coaches in career winning percentage (.605). He also ranks 40th all-time in career victories.

During the 2007 season, Brady recorded his 600th career win with a victory over Saint Rose (NY), becoming the 47th coach in NCAA Division II history to reach that milestone.

Early in the 2003 season, he recorded career victory number 500 with an 11-4 victory over the University of Central Missouri and was the 29th active Division II coach to record 500 wins. His longevity and stability in the program has been a key ingredient to the success the UMSL program has shown under the tutelage of Brady.

UMSL has had a winning season for all but four years that Brady has been the head coach. The teams have had 30 or more wins 11 times in the last 15 years, including a school-record of 39-15 record in 2003. In that historic 2003 season, Brady led UMSL to a first-place regular season finish in the GLVC and also won the GLVC Tournament, recording UMSL’s first ever conference title since joining the GLVC. UMSL also earned a bid and a first-place seed to the NCAA Regionals, their first trip to the Regionals since the 1998 season.

The 1998 team finished with a 32-15 record and a bid to the NCAA Regionals. In 1996, Brady guided the team to a then school record 37-9 record, a first-place conference regular season finish, an NCAA Regional title and a berth in the Division II College World Series. In addition, Brady also led UMSL to back-to-back NCAA Regional appearances in 1992 and 1993. In 1993, Brady led the team to its first appearance in the Division II College World Series since the 1977 season, and it’s first during his tenure.

Thus far in his career at UMSL, Brady has coached 13 All-American players, 54 all-regional players and 85 all-conference players in either the MIAA or the GLVC. He has also coached five players who earned All-Conference and All-Region Player or Pitcher of the Year, and one Conference Freshman of the Year. Brady has been awarded with the Central Region Coach of the Year Award twice, in 1993 and again in 1996.

He was inducted into the St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.

In addition to his coaching duties at UM-St. Louis, Brady has served as an assistant coach at the U.S. Olympic National Baseball trials in 1992, and was honored by the Multiple Sclerosis Society for excellence in coaching in 1994.

Prior to being named the head coach, he assumed the pitching coach duties at UM-St. Louis in 1984 under former head coach Jim Dix. That year, Brady guided UMSL to a league-leading ERA as a team.

Before arriving at UMSL, Brady served as a teacher and assistant baseball and football coach at Parkway South High School for five years. He has also served as an assistant coach at Missouri State and helped guide the Bears to back-to-back post-season appearances in 1977 and 1978.
Brady played collegiate baseball at nearby Meramec Community College, and later went on to play at Division I Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo. Brady has two sons, Kyle (21), who attends Washington University in St. Louis, and Tyler (20), who attends Miami University (Ohio). His grandfather, the late William C. Brady, is a member of the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame.

Geoff Desmond | Baseball Assistant Coach

P: 314-516-5647

Geoff Desmond is in his first season as an assistant coach at UMSL after spending last season as an assistant coach at Danville Area Community College.

As a player, Desmond earned All-American honors at Arkansas State, where he played first base. He was selected as a Louisville Slugger Second Team All-American and a Rawlings Third Team all-American. He also spent two seasons at Danville (Ill.) Area Community College, where he earned third team All-American honors.

Desmond, a native of Danville, Ill., graduated from Arkansas State with a degree in interdisciplinary studies and a certification in physical education.

After graduation, he signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals and spent a full year with them before being released and playing with the River City Rascals of the Frontier League. He also spent time with the Evansville Otters.

Desmond, who resides in St. Louis, is currently working towards a physical education teaching certification at UMSL.

Joe Dressler | Baseball Assistant Coach

P: 314-516-5647

Joe Dressler is in his first season as an assistant coach at UMSL and is also serving as the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

Dressler, who graduated from nearby DeSmet High School in 1993, attended the University of Arkansas from 1993-96, where he was a member of the baseball team during the 1994-95 season. He then attended UMSL where he graduated with a degree in business marketing in 2000.

He currently works as a personal trainer in the St. Louis area and has been an AFAA certified personal trainer since February 2005. He has also been an SIEP certified personal trainer since October 2005 and is currently working towards a CSCS certification.

Dressler resides in St. Louis.

John Sanders | Volunteer Assistant Baseball Coach

P: 314-516-5647

John “Satch” Sanders is in his second year as a volunteer assistant coach for the UMSL baseball team.

A standout high school and collegiate athlete, Sanders has spent many years coaching local teams since his playing days, including the St. Louis Printers from 1989-98, with the team winning the National I.P.B.L. championship in 2002. He also coached the Creve Coeur American Legion Baseball team from 1994-2003.

Sanders also guided the St. Louis Bulls to three consecutive Missouri state championships from 1993-95 and headed Lou Fusz F.C. from 1996-2002, guiding the team to a silver medal finish in the Ian Rush in England in 2002.

Sanders served as head varsity soccer coach at Parkway North High School from 2001-06 and coached the St. Louis Metro Collegiate League (Brentwood) to four consecutive league championships. That team was also a four-time semifinalist of the NABF Summer College World Series from 2004-07.

A St. Louis native, Sanders was a multi-sport athlete at St. Louis University High. He graduated from Western Illinois University in 1974, where he was a four-year captain of the Western Illinois soccer teams in the early 1970’s and holds school career records in scoring and assists. He was also a 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials finalist and was inducted into the Western Illinois University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989.

Sanders owned and operated SWM Printing & Promotion from 1981-2006, prior to the sale to RBO PrintLogistix in 2006. He currently serves as vice-president of sales and marketing at PrintLogistix.
Sanders resides in Maryland Heights, Mo., with his wife, Kathie. The couple has two sons, Scott and Mark. Scott was a first-team all-Great Lakes Valley Conference performer for UMSL, while helping the Tritons to the 2003 league championship. Mark is currently a member of the UMSL baseball team.