Several weeks back, Freed-Hardeman University athletic director Mike McCutchen passed along an e-mail to his head baseball coach, Patrick McCarthy, that contained a job listing for head baseball coach at Faulkner University.

McCutchen thought McCarthy could pass the word down to his assistant coaches and may be one of them could make a move up. McCarthy thought the move to Montgomery didn't seem so bad for himself.

At a news conference Wednesday morning, Faulkner officially named McCarthy as its new head baseball coach. "(McCutchen) passed that along and the next thing I know, I'm down here on an in terview with my wife," McCar thy said. "We just fell in love with Faulkner when we came down here. It was a perfect fit for us and it has everything you need to be successful. I'll have five times the resources here."

In his five seasons at Freed-Hardeman, McCarthy compiled a 160-108 record and went 58-47 in TranSouth Conference play. In 2007, he guided the Lions to their first national ranking in 10 years, and also spent time in the rankings in 2008.

"My nine years at Freed have been phenomenal," McCarthy said. "We loved it there. I felt like we left a good foundation in place and that the program is in great shape moving forward."

The move away from FHU wasn't easy.

McCarthy played for the Li ons for two seasons (1998-1999) and was an assistant coach for four seasons at the school be fore being promoted to head coach. He also spearheaded fundraising efforts at FHU that resulted in a new field and lock er room facility for the baseball program.
"Coach McCarthy has been an asset to our athletic program and he and his family will truly be missed," McCutchen said. "He has built a strong program here at FHU and I am sure he will do great things at Faulkner University."

At Faulkner, McCarthy will take over a program that went 33-23 last season and finished fifth in the Southern States Athletic Conference under for mer coach Brent Barker, who resigned to become Faulkner's full-time athletic director.

While some would be hesitant to work under the former head coach, McCarthy sees it as a positive. "He's just another resource here, as far as I'm concerned," McCarthy said of Barker. "I can pick his brain and know I have someone there who I can go to for good information. That's a huge advantage, I think, when you're coming into an area that you're unfamiliar with."

For his part, Barker, who coached the Eagles the last two seasons, said he has no inten tions of interfering with McCar thy. Instead, he plans to treat him the same way he treats all of Faulkner's coaches.

"I'm here for help if they need it," Barker said. "Other wise, I like to stay out of it and let the coaches run their own programs. Everyone has a dif ferent style that might work for them.

"I have a lot of confidence in Patrick and what he'll be able to accomplish here. I think he's just the right person for this job, with his enthusiasm and energy and experience."