July 13, 2007

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. - Olivet Nazarene University Director of Athletics Jeff Schimmelpfennig has announced the hiring of Todd Reid of Eastern Nazarene College (Mass.) as the eighth head baseball coach in the program's history.

"I am excited for the opportunity to continue the tradition that has been laid," said Reid, head coach at NCAA Division III Eastern Nazarene for 10 years. "Coach Johnson has done a great job of building a program that is considered one of the premier Christian college baseball programs in the country. I don't believe that there will be a transition time. I expect to continue championship-level baseball at Olivet."

Reid takes over a Tiger program that finished the 2007 campaign at 26-18 overall and 13-7 in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference. The Tigers return five of their top seven hitters and three of their four top starting pitchers, including All-CCAC First Team pitcher Steven Held and All-CCAC Honorable Mention pitcher Erich Holsten.

Reid replaces Dr. Elliot Johnson, who resigned in late May to take a similar position at Southern Nazarene University (Okla.).

"We are thrilled to have coach Reid join our staff," Schimmelpfennig said. "He is a tremendous person who embraces our mission and has also proven to be a very successful collegiate baseball coach in a highly competitive NCAA region of the country."

Schimmelpfennig continued, "Olivet Nazarene University athletics strives to not only win championships, but to develop champions. In talking with coaches around the country, I was so impressed by their opinions of coach Reid as a leader of young men, as well as an outstanding baseball coach."

In 10 years at Eastern Nazarene, Reid led the Crusaders to three 20-win seasons in the past four years, including a record-breaking 28-12 mark in 2004. Following that season, Reid was named the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Coach of the Year. In 2005, Reid guided ENC to the CCC Championship game for only the second time in school history.

"It is difficult to leave a place where we have had recent success," Reid said. "It is also difficult to leave behind the relationships that have been built over a 10-year period. I am looking forward to forging those types of relationships at Olivet."

He added, "My family and I are excited about being a part of the Olivet community. I am looking forward to being a member of the faculty, the local community, the campus and the area churches."

A 1993 graduate of Mount Vernon Nazarene University (MVNU) (Ohio), Reid helped lead MVNU to a district championship in 1991 and the NCCAA World Series in 1993.