LA Tech hires baseball coach
RUSTON, La. – On Friday afternoon, Louisiana Tech baseball head coach Lane Burroughs announced the addition of Mike Silva to the baseball coaching staff. Silva will serve as the team’s associate head coach, working mainly with the Bulldog pitching staff, after spending the past two seasons as the pitching coach at Little Rock.
“Coach Silva just stood out amongst all the candidates,” head coach Lane Burroughs remarked. “Mike is a guy that I have admired from a distance with his connections throughout the country, in professional baseball and his ability to produce winners at every stop of his career. He is a man of extremely high character, a devoted husband, father, relentless recruiter and a developer of young men. Just check his track record when it comes to developing players. I talked with numerous people in the baseball community and not one person had anything negative to say about Mike. He is truly one of the hungry lions in our profession that gets the absolute most out of his players. I was so thoroughly impressed with his pitch calling against us, his dugout demeanor, staff management and the way his pitchers competed their tails off.”
Silva brings a wealth of experience to Ruston, after guiding the Little Rock pitching staff to the fifth-lowest ERA in the Sun Belt in 2018. The Trojans lowered their team ERA in each of Silva’s two seasons in Little Rock. This past season, Little Rock pitchers averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings under Silva’s tutelage – second best in the Sun Belt.
“I would like to thank President Dr. Les Guice, Director of Athletics Tommy McClelland, and head coach Lane Burroughs for providing this great opportunity to join Louisiana Tech University,” Silva remarked. “My wife Reagan, son Dylan and I are extremely excited to be joining the Louisiana Tech family. I am eager for the opportunity to work alongside Coach Burroughs, Coach Creel and Coach Knight to help build upon the strong foundation and rich tradition that is Louisiana Tech baseball.”
In taking over the reins of the Bulldog pitchers, Silva inherits one of the deepest and most experienced staffs not only in Conference USA, but across the nation. Last season, the Bulldogs led the league and ranked 25th nationally with a 3.48 team ERA.
“Obviously we felt this hire was of the utmost importance with the majority of our innings and workload returning for the 2019 season,” Burroughs added. “We wanted to do what’s in the best interest of our players and of course further the direction and future of the program. We tried to get out in front
of the situation and show our program’s stability and the forward direction we continue to move. We were absolutely flattered with the amount of interest this position generated. I think that speaks volumes about Louisiana Tech, Ruston and the leadership at our University specifically our President, Dr. Les Guice and Athletic Director, Tommy McClelland.”
In 2017, Silva coached his pitching staff to a program-record 463 strikeouts. Little Rock's pitchers recorded 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings — ranking third in the Sun Belt and 47th nationally. They also allowed the third-fewest hits in the league at 8.83 per nine innings.
Silva also brings experience at the professional level, as he worked as an area scout for the San Diego Padres in 2016, scouting talent in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
Prior to his time as a scout, Silva was an assistant coach at Texas State from 2013-15. Under his guidance, the Bobcats reached the conference tournament
in all three seasons and saw six players selected in the MLB Draft.
Prior to joining the Bobcats, Silva was the head coach at Galveston College where he led the team to its first regional tournament in five years and first season above .500 in the past 13 years. His team ranked as high as 11th in the nation during the campaign.
Before Galveston, Silva was the head coach at Clarendon College for three seasons. During his threeyear stint at Clarendon, Silva’s teams earned 111 victories, making him the winningest coach in program history. In 2010, the team picked up the second-highest ranking in program history at No. 15 while Silva also formed the school’s second All-American and conference player of the year.
Prior to becoming head coach at Clarendon, Silva served two stints there as an assistant coach. In 2008, the team earned 40 wins and proceeded to the regional championship during his second time with the program. Silva initially joined the team as an assistant from 2003-05.
Between stints at Clarendon, Silva spent the 2006 season as an assistant at Bethany College where the team won 40 games and attained a No. 18 ranking in the NAIA national poll.