June 03, 2021

Eric Horner on how the JUCO grind develops better players, people and students.

59 minutes

Bio

Eric Horner is in his first season as head coach of the Johnson County Community College baseball team, and his 18th with the program. He is just the fourth head coach in the 47-year history of the program. He replaced NJCAA and ABCA Hall of Fame coach Kent Shelley who retired at the end of the 2020 season. Horner served 17 seasons as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers, 13 as the top assistant to coach Shelley, and was instrumental in the success of the program that racked up incredible numbers. In 17 years, Horner helped guide Johnson County to five 30-win seasons, eight 40-win seasons and one 50-win campaign. In 2020 the Cavaliers were on pace to add to that list before the COVID-19 pandemic cut the season short with a 20-3 mark. In his 17 years as a recruiting coordinator, Horner recruited and coached 123 all-conference selections, including a record 14 in 2017, 27 All-Region VI selections, 10 NJCAA All-Americans, one Region VI Player of the Year, three conference Players of the Year, one conference Pitcher of the Year, two JUCO All-Stars, two Rawlings Big Stick Award winners, two Rawlings Gold Glove winners and 2020 three Baseball Blog All-Americans, including the National Player of the Year. Additionally, seventy-six players went on to the NCAA Division I level, 87 to the NCAA Division II level, 20 have gone to NAIA programs, and another 20 have gone on to professional baseball.

So on the show we go over his transition from being an assistant at Johnson to being the head coach, we tallk the JUCO grind and how that develops baseball players, and then we dive deep into developing the person, the player, and the student.

Time Stamps

1:00- Transitioning from Assistant to Head Coach

3:00- Preparing for a playoff run

4:50- Preparing for the fall

11:00- What the fall looks like at JCC

14:30- Whats a Cavalier look like?

19:00- Pitching Development in the Fall

23:00- Team Development

32:00- Pre season/In season and Practice Plans

44:00- After Season Wrap-ups

47:00- Quick Hitters

Resources