Baylor fires coach Smith

Recent struggles bring end to 21-year tenure with Bears.

Steve Smith was a star pitcher for Baylor. Then over a 21-year career as the baseball coach at his al ma mater, he won more games than anyone else in program history.

On Sunday, though, Smith was fired. His termination came a day after Baylor’s season ended with a 4-0 loss to Texas in the Big 12 Conference tournament.

Although Smith won more games than any other Baylor coach, no matter the sport, he didn’t collec t enough victories over the past three years to keep him employed. His 23-32 record this seas on represented Baylor’s worst mark since 1981. The Bears also will miss the NCAA pl ayoffs for the third straight year.

Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw confi rmed the news after reports surfaced that Smith had texted his pl ayers to inform them he wouldn’t return.

“We are grateful for Coach Smith’s leadership of the Baylor baseball program and his ma- ny accompli shments over the last 21 seasons,” McCaw said in a statement. “We wish him much success and happiness in his future endeavors.”

McCaw also sai d he would begin a national search for Smith’s replacement. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced Monday, so it’s unclear how soon McCaw could start interviewing candidates.

Smith, 54, led Baylor to a 745-523-1 over his 21-year career.

His teams won Big 12 titles in 2000, 2005 and 2012 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament 13 times, reaching the su- per-regional round three times. Baylor earned a trip to the College World Series in 2005.

But Smith’s last taste of success came in 2012 when the Bears were 49-17. Baylor boasted a 24-game winning streak, and the Bears received the No. 4 national seed for the playoffs. They lost to Arkansas in a super regional.

In the three seasons since, Smith’s teams have failed to post a winning record, slipping to marks of 27-28, 26-31 and 23-32.