Head Coach Gary Rundles brings 31 years of
coaching experience into a
Tiger program that carries high
expectations into every season.
Last season, Rundles led the Red and White to the
2007 Gulf South Conference East Division crown and a berth in the
GSC Baseball Tournament. The Tigers compiled a 41-16 record,
including a spot in the GSC Tournament Championship Game. Under his
mentorship seven Tigers were named All-GSC last season with one
named to the All-South Central Region Team.
In 2006, Rundles guided the Tigers to a school
record 42-22 record, including a runner-up finish in the GSC
Tournament and a berth in the South Central Regional.
From his beginnings as a coach and teacher of the
game at Central High School in Harrison, Tenn., to his current
status as one of the most well-known coaches in the Southeast,
Rundles attacks every season with a burning desire to succeed and a
firm belief in fundamental baseball.
He came to West Alabama from Carson-Newman, where
he built and maintained one of the most solid programs in all of the
land over a 13-year career. Rundles posted a record of 372-277 at
Carson-Newman while winning five Conference Titles and finishing
runner-up on four occasions. He guided the Eagles to a Division II
College World Series berth in 1999, earning Conference, Region, and
Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association "Coach of the Year" honors.
He also led Carson-Newman to the NAIA World Series in 1993 and has
been named Conference Coach of the Year on six separate occasions.
For Rundles, a long, success-filled coaching
career began at Chattanooga Central (Tenn.) High School in 1977.
Over an eight-year stretch, he compiled a record of 171-72. In 1985,
Rundles departed for his alma mater Carson-Newman, where he served
in the capacity of graduate assistant, and later as assistant coach.
After two seasons on the Eagle staff, he was promoted to head coach.
Today, Rundles brings the same tireless work
ethic in recruiting, motivating and teaching the game to West
Alabama. A firm believer in dedication and discipline, he leads by
example and achieves success through hard work. He also served a
term as the chairman of the NCAA Division II Baseball Committee.
Rundles, 50, is a native of Chattanooga, Tenn. He is married to
the former Joan Lambert of Jefferson City, Tenn. They have three
children, Alley (16), Megan (21), and a son Richard (24), who plays
professional baseball with the St. Louis Cardinal organization.
