Conversations with College Coaches: Franklin & Marshall College
Baseball Factory is privileged to work with programs from every level of college baseball. We strive to educate and guide our players when it comes to choosing the right school. In our latest interview, Woody Wingfield spoke with Head Coach Adam Taylor from Franklin & Marshall College. F&M is a Division III program out of the Centennial Conference.
1. How long have you been coaching? How long at Franklin & Marshall College?
I have been coaching for 12 years and have been the Head Coach at F&M for three years
2. Who are some of your mentors or coaches that you look up to?
I have had the opportunity to work for and with some great coaches in my career, and they have all shaped how I coach. It is important that you take something away from every experience. The head coaches that I worked for as an assistant did a tremendous job preparing me for becoming a head coach and running my own program. When I first started out, I worked a ton of camps with some great coaches. I got excited about coaching by watching these clinicians work and teach. It always impressed me that coaches that had been around for 20 plus years were still excited to teach the game and work with kids. The list of coaches that I look up to and that have mentored me is extensive.
3. What is the first thing about your school and program that you’d want a recruit to know about?
The first thing that we want student-athletes to know is that we want competitors. I want players who compete as hard in the classroom as they do on the field. In order to maximize your career here at F&M, you have to be all in. The players that achieve greatness do so academically and athletically. There are no shortcuts. This is a challenging academic environment, and we match that with our expectations within the baseball program.
4. What do you look for in a prospective recruit on the field? Off the field?
We are looking for student-athletes who have on field abilities that match the academic excellence they have achieved in the classroom. I like to bring in players who come from a culture of winning. If winning is already engrained in them, it is much harder for them to accept losing.
5. How does video footage help you with the recruiting process?
Video footage can be very helpful in determining initial interest in a prospective student-athlete. I rarely recruit a player based solely on video footage, but it allows us to determine whether the player has the basic tools to succeed at the collegiate level.
6. Franklin & Marshall is a very tough school academically, so can you give some insight on how your players balance academics and baseball?
The NCAA rules that we operate under at the Division III level allow the players to have plenty of time to focus on academics. The players that have the most success at this level find that balance early in their careers. If a player wants to have a great career, their focus must be on academics and baseball. If they have their priorities in order, then there is no reason why they shouldn’t be successful in the classroom.
7. Given the tough admissions standards, do you have any advice for a prospective baseball player looking to be recruited to a school like Franklin & Marshall?
When a player makes initial contact with us or any school with high standards, the first thing they need to send us is their transcripts, test scores, etc. This allows us to determine whether that player has a chance to be accepted to F&M. Once we make that determination, we can focus on evaluating the abilities of that player to determine whether he would be a good fit for our program.
8. Can you break down your fall practice schedule? What do you try to accomplish?
Per NCAA rules, we are allowed 4 practices a week for 4 weeks. We are also allowed one day of outside competition. During our fall season, the coaching staff is re-evaluating our players everyday to determine what role they will fill in the spring. From an instructional standpoint, we are continuing to work on the adjustments that our returning players need to make and determining what adjustments our freshman need to make to be successful at this level. For us, the fall is extremely important to our development. At the Division III level, you have to develop players. We aren’t going to get many players who are the finished product.
9. What do you think of the new BBCOR bats?
I may be in the minority, but I actually like how the bats have changed the game. Pitchers are rewarded for making a good pitch and challenging hitters. I think it forces coaches to teach all aspects of the game as well. You can no longer bring in a gorilla with a long swing and expect him to be successful. Hitters have to be able to handle the bat.
10. Is there anything you would like to add about your assistant coaches, recruits, parents, or program that we have not asked you about?
If players are looking for a program where the expectations and commitment level are high, then F&M could be a good fit. We run this program like a Division I program, but operate under the rules set forth by the NCAA for Division III. My assistant coaches are excellent and are committed to making the players better. I would like to thank the Baseball Factory for this opportunity to speak about Diplomat Baseball and all the work they do to help coaches find kids that fit their program.
