LBSU Troy Buckley Fired: Story goes deeper than losing record

If you follow Cal State Omaha on social media, you already saw that Long Beach State head coach Troy Buckley was fired on Thursday.

🚨BREAKING🚨

Troy Buckley out at @LBDirtbags

Guessing the 5 page manifesto the @11point7 guys got wasn’t joking about things being tumultuous over there. https://t.co/zIU4KdCTzE

— Cal State Omaha (@CalStateOmaha) April 12, 2019

Many speculated the Dirtbags dreadful win-loss record was the main reason since Long Beach was 5-26 prior to Buckley’s firing. His firing comes two years removed from almost advancing to the College World Series in 2017 and was granted a contract extension through 2022.

According to Transparent California, Buckley’s compensation per year was over $190,000 per year not including benefits. By comparison, according to the same source, Rick Vanderhook‘s yearly compensation reported in 2018 was just north of $175,000 not including benefits.

Many would think when a coach is fired for performance or lack there of, the athletic department needs to come up with a big fat check to make that coach go away. But what if the termination was not performance based but rather on “good cause” due to the employee’s behavior? Something like sexual harassment or workplace violence?

A fever or body aches are usually symptoms of a much larger problem like contracting the flu. Same could be said for a losing record and poor performing players on the field are usually symptoms of a much large problem that a coach has lost his team. The Dirtbags overall record of 5-26 headed into the weekend series vs. Cal State Northridge prior to Buckley’s firing may have been a warning sign that something was rotten in Long Beach. Now reports are coming out that is was more than just poor play on the field.

11Point7 – Dumpster fire in Long Beach: Head Coach Troy Buckley FIRED
The 562 – Troy Buckley Out As Dirtbags Manager
Daily 49er – Buckley out as Dirtbags head coach
Long Beach Press Telegram – Long Beach State parts ways with baseball coach Troy Buckley

Some excerpts from the 11point7 report include:

“11Point7 has been informed that more than a handful of LBSU players have faced Buckley taking extreme measures to the point where Buckley started to exhibit a lack of program control. Intentionally throwing balls at players during BP, is an obvious example we were notified of.”

“With complaints from players and alumni pouring in by the truck loads, Buckley began to physically distance himself from the situation. He had allegedly stopped riding the team bus during road trips and consistently missed team practices during the 2019 season.”

Excerpts from the 562 report:

“Multiple sources familiar with the university investigation into Buckley confirmed that he was terminated after a reported incidence of workplace violence. Following a recent baseball game Buckley is alleged to have gone after another university employee, having to be physically restrained from fighting.”

In the absence of Troy Buckley, associate head coach Greg Bergeron and pitching coach Dan Ricabal will share head coaching duties for the duration of the season.

It should be noted that both Bergeron and Ricabal have Titan ties. Bergeron was an assistant coach for the Titans under the Dave Serrano regime and Ricabal was a pitcher for the Titans in the early 1990’s. Numerous rumors are swirling that Dave Serrano is the leader right now to get the Long Beach State job.

Serrano is currently a writer and contributor to Baseball America and if hired, would be the head man for three different Big West Conference teams after coaching UC Irvine, Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State if his hiring comes to fruition.