Val McLean, the face of the Allen Community College baseball team for a generation, has resigned, after receiving an evaluation that he felt left him no other choice.
McLean’s resignation was accepted Tuesday evening by the ACC Board of Trustees.
McLean, named to the NJCAA Hall of Fame in 2006, retires after 37 years at Allen’s helm.
“I had originally planned to retire at 65,” said McLean, 60.
But his annual job evaluation — done at the end of the recently concluded season — changed those plans.
“I received a threatening evaluation last week from our athletic director questioning my passion, coaching style and technique, recruiting ability and ability to finish in the top five in the conference,” he said in a written statement. “It was apparent I needed to resign. I was given a mandate to finish in the top five in the conference next year.
“I was blind-sided,” he continued. “I have never received a negative evaluation before.
“The top five teams in the conference — if you look at the number of coaches they have, the facilities they have, the scholarship programs they have, and the work study programs they have — it would have been difficult to finish in the top five on a consistent basis.”
McLean noted every other upper-echolon schools in the Jayhawk Conference has three coaches. “Most have four. We only have two: the head coach and one inexperienced assistant. I believe I could have achieved top-five status with an additional assistant. I have requested that numerous years, only to be turned down.”
McLean noted his assistants usually rotate out after three years at Allen.
“The first year, they’re raw and inexperienced, the second year they start to get the hang of it, and the third year, they’re ready to move on” to a higher-paying job.
“I still have a major passion for the game,” he continued. “I have given a lot of heart and soul to the program. In the years I had the most success, it was a more level playing field in respect to scholarships, facilities and everyone had one assistant coach. That has all changed. Allen Community College has not changed.
“After 37 years, it hurts me to retire early,” he said. “I never thought I would go out this way. After all of the good years I have had, this action has been devastating. I have tried my best to balance my counseling, teaching and baseball duties.”
“I’d be disappointed to hear he feels that way,” Peters responded. “It’s the policy of this institution — one that I inherited — to be consistent with our other coaching staffs” and have a two-man coaching staff to oversee the baseball team. “He’s had endless support from this administration.”
McLean won 1,155 games over 37 seasons, including two trips to the NJCAA World Series, in 1983 and 2000. His 1983 squad finished third in the nation.
