UIndy Athletics

Longtime skipper Gary Vaught wrapped up a decorated coaching career recently. Prior to announcing his retirement in May of 2018, the Oklahoma native racked up an impressive 975-666-22 record as an college coach, good for 20th all-time in wins among NCAA Division II coaches. He notched sixteen 30-win seasons and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances at UIndy while compiling more wins (808) than any other coach, regardless of sport, in school history.

A former chair of the GLVC Baseball Coaches Association and president of the American Baseball Coaches Association Division II group, Vaught compiled some impressive credentials in his 20-plus years as an NCAA head coach. The UIndy mentor has had a number of players go on to play professional baseball -- notably Mark Leiter, Bob Zupcic, Jim Crowell, Andrew Werner, Donovan Drake and Brandon Braboy. Crowell, from Vaught’s 1995 UIndy team, played with three major league clubs, while most-recently Andrew Werner pitcher for the Oakland As.

In addition to his on-field duties, Vaught was recently named to the ABCA's Lefty Gomez Award Committee. Named after baseball great Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez, the prestigeous award is presented by the ABCA each year to "an individual who has distinguished himself amongst his peers and has contributed significantly to the game of baseball locally, nationally and internationally." Vaught joins an exclusive committee of eight members and one chair.

The 2016 season was a memorable one for UIndy, as the team finished 38-21 overall and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time with Vaught behind the bench. The Greyhounds took second in the GLVC East with a 17-11 record in league play and earned the program's sixth GLVC Tournament championship with five straight victories, the last a 6-1 win over Rockhurst in the championship game.

UIndy put together a strong campaign in 2015, going 34-19 and topping the GLVC East with a 26-10 mark in conference play. UIndy closed out the regular season with 11 straight win to grab the division title and the East's top seed in the GLVC Tournament. As a result, eight Greyhounds were named All-GLVC East division, highlighted by Matt Kaplanis bringing home Co-Pitcher of the Year honors.

The Greyhounds finished the 2014 campaign 30-25 overall and 23-13 in the GLVC, and earned Vaught's ninth NCAA Tournament berth and 14th in program history. He coached two All-Region student-athletes in Alex Ritchie and Zach Jacobs, and saw eight players make the GLVC All-East teams.

In 2013, UIndy closed out the season 27-20, including a fevered 10-3 finish to close out the season. The Greyhounds finished a game out of the GLVC Tournament, but placed seven on the league's All-GLVC East Division Teams. Vaught also mentored the program's first Academic All-American since 2001, with first baseman Jake Hartley earning second team honors.

The 2012 edition of UIndy baseball made Vaught’s second NCAA Division II World Series trip, putting up a record of 46-16 en route to NCAA Midwest Regional and GLVC titles on the season. The Greyhound head man earned Coach of the Year honors in the conference, as well as Midwest Region Coach of the Year honors from both the ABCA and the NCBWA for the 2013 season, in which his program became just the third in UIndy history to notch both GLVC and NCAA Regional championships in the same season.

The 2012 UIndy squad earned the top seeds in both the GLVC and NCAA Midwest Regional tournaments, winning the program’s second titles in both events.

Vaught's Greyhounds just missed the 30-win mark last season after compiling a 29-19 mark, including a stellar 21-6 record at home.

In 2010, Vaught led the Greyhounds to a 35-22 mark and a second straight NCAA regional trip.  The team ranked second among 230 Division II teams in sacrifice bunts.

The Hounds notched a 43-win campaign and an NCAA berth in 2009, advancing to the Midwest Region final.  The win total represented the second-highest in program history, falling short of only Vaught's 2001 club that won a Great Lakes Valley Conference title.

Vaught has guided UIndy to four straight appearances in the six-team GLVC Tournament.  UIndy has racked-up 10 30-win seasons in his time at the school, part of 13 30-win campaigns in his career.

Vaught's 2003 earned a three seed in the NCAA Regional and advanced to the nation’s final 16 while posting a 39-22 mark.  The Hounds lost to Grand Valley State in the North Central Regional finals.  The winningest coach in UIndy history, Vaught led his squads to seven consecutive 30-win campaigns from 1997-2003 and five NCAA II Tournament berths.

In 2001, the Hounds began the campaign with their highest preseason ranking ever (11th). They recorded their third straight GLVC North Division title with a conference-record 24 wins in 27 league outings. The Hounds won five consecutive games after dropping their GLVC Tournament opener to record the school's first conference title since 1984.  UIndy won a school-record 51 games and hosted the NCAA II North Central Regional for the first time. Vaught's squad did all this while producing an NCAA-best four Verizon Academic All-Americans.

After winning the NCAA Division II North Central Regional, the 2000 Greyhounds made their first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery, Alabama. The team finished third, losing to eventual national champion Southeastern Oklahoma State. The Hounds set a then-school record for wins with 42, finishing fifth in the final NCAA Division II poll. Vaught's Greyhounds were Great Lakes Valley Conference North Division Champions for the second consecutive year and the only GLVC team to qualify for the NCAA Regional.

In ‘99, the team bettered its national ranking during the season to No. 4 at one point, and by the end of the year had earned a return trip to the NCAA II North Central Regional.

In his fourth year at UIndy, the Hounds received their highest national ranking at the time (10th) while  earning a berth in the 1998 NCAA II Regional.

Vaught took over the Greyhound reigns prior to the 1995 campaign.  In his second year, he guided UIndy to just its second winning season in 15 years while setting program records for wins, hits, runs, homers, stolen bases, walks, and saves.

From 1986-89, Vaught guided NCAA I Oral Roberts to a 114-66 record (.633) and a trip to the NCAA West Regional Finals in 1987. His ORU team lost to eventual national champion Stanford in the regional final.

Prior to his stint at Oral Roberts, Vaught was the head coach at Kansas State for three seasons. At KSU, Vaught guided the Wildcats to their first Big Eight Tournament appearance in 10 seasons. His 1985 team established 18 school records, earning him Big Eight "Coach of the Year" honors.

From 1980-84, Vaught coached at Connors State Junior College in Warner, Oklahoma, guiding his teams to an outstanding 305-57 (.843) win-loss record in four seasons. His teams achieved national rankings all four years, earning him Oklahoma "Coach of the Year" honors in 1984. At Connors, Vaught's teams set a school record for consecutive wins with 41, and his 1984 team finished ninth, after having been as high as fifth during the season. Prior to entering the college ranks, Vaught coached in Oklahoma high schools for eight years, posting an overall mark of 117-41-1.

Vaught, a native of Norman, Okla., holds a bachelor's degree (1974) and a master's degree (1976), from the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. He was a four-year starter at UCO, earning all-conference honors three times, and all-district recognition once.
 

Career Coaching Record