One of the more remarkable things about the success of the TCU football and baseball teams has been the continuity of the leaders. Both sets of coaching staff have really stayed intact better than any could have imagined. Normally with programs experiencing success, you see turnover from the top down. But in our case, the Frogs have maintained a balance that is the envy of most other programs.

Well, 1 year removed from Mike Schultz, the football offensive coordinator, leaving for Illinois, the baseball team is losing their offensive coordinator, Todd Whitting. Whitting has served as recruiting coordinator while handling the hitters as well, and today he was offered the job at his alma mater, Houston. He will return to the place where he served as assistant coach for a number of years.

Unlike Schultz, this is an amicable parting that will leave a mark on the TCU program. When Jim Schlossnagle took over as head coach of the TCU program, he told the TCU leaders that he would not take the job if there was not enough resources to hire Whitting on his staff. That speaks volumes to the abilities of Whitting and it is certainly warranted. As recruiting coordinator, he has tirelessly cultivated the Houston area for prospects and has helped transform our program into an Omaha team.

The fact that he is going to Houston makes the situation a little less palatable as well. TCU has made a living recruiting the fertile grounds of Houston and conceivably Whitting could deplete our resources out there. While Texas is a hotbed of baseball talent, fighting with the likes of Texas, Rice and Texas A&M is hard enough without having to fight out Houston for resources as well.

However, before we get up in arms about this move, keep in mind that Coach Schlossnagle earned his stripes as the chief recruiting coordinator at Tulane where he convinced a ton of talented players in Houston to come to New Orleans and play for a team that would eventually make the College World Series. It is during this time where he got to know Whitting and understood his talent for recruiting.

In addition, if TCU had the resources to convince a guy as talented as Whitting to come to Fort Worth in 2003, one would think that the Frogs have resources and more clout to bring a talented recruiter in again. While TCU was offering money and great facilities, they were not exactly a consistent postseason participant, so it took a leap of faith to come to TCU. Now, the Frogs will head into 2011 as one of the top 8 teams with national expectations to visit Omaha again, and that should seem like an enticing opportunity for some assistant. The ability to come in and sell a program that sells itself and pays well seems like a heck of an opportunity.

I would caution that this is a tenuous time to lose Whitting. After 2011, the Frogs will likely have no one on the roster that contributed to the run to Omaha this year. As a result, there is a lot of depth that needs to be built into the roster and the incoming assistant will have a tall task ahead of them.

Now before we begin to worry, keep in mind that Randy Mazey is still with the Frogs and he is a very accomplished coach in his own right. A former Conference USA Coach of the Year who led an East Carolina squad to a Super Regional after hosting a Regional, he can easily right the ship. Between him and Schlossnagle, the Frogs should be fine.

But in some ways, this seems like a huge opportunity. The Frogs have not exactly put their stamp on the Metroplex quite the way they could in recent years. Aside from UTA and Dallas Baptist, the Frogs are the only other baseball squad in the area. And in recent years, the Frogs have become the premiere team in a location filled with talented players and there should be a windfall in accordance with their play on the field. Maybe this gives us an opportunity to adjust our approach from down I-45 and to focus on securing most of the major talent in the I-35 corridor.

One interesting name immediately floats to the surface in former UNLV coach Buddy Gouldsmith. Gouldsmith was let go this year after taking over the Rebels in 2004. Gouldsmith was brought to UNLV by Schlossnagle when the duo left Tulane following the 2001 season. Gouldsmith and Schlossnagle both helped build Tulane back in the day and Gouldsmith was actually in Schlossnagles wedding. So the two are linked and Gouldsmith is familiar with the local region as well as the Mountain West.

But before we begin to speculate on the next steps, we should stop and recognize the job that Todd Whitting has done at TCU. The talent he has brought in has been nothing short of masterful and we thank him for his time in Fort Worth and we wish him all the best. I personally hope he has success in his future endeavor, just not too much success if you know what I mean.