"Ready for the next phase of life:" After eight seasons at the helm, Erstad resigns from his position as baseball coach Husker | Baseball

"After about a 25-year career as a player and coach," said Erstad, "I'm just ready to take a deep breath and smile again."

He will safely smile in his decision. Sending to a small group of media members early Monday night, Erstad recalled the effects of his parents on his own sporting life.

"I just know how important it was for me to keep my parents in games and training all the time, and that meant a lot to me," said Erstad. "And I want to be able to do that for our kids too, it's hard because I really enjoy children (at the NU); I love Nebraska, of course, but it was the moment."

Erstad and his wife, Jessica, have a daughter, Jordan, and two sons, Zack and Adam.

"The kids told me not to stop coaching," Erstad said. "They did not want me, but I'm just ready for the next phase of my life."

Erstad's resignation took place one day before his 45th birthday and eight years and one day after his appointment as head coach at NU on June 2, 2011.

NU thrower coach Ted Silva will be the acting coach. In less than two years, Nebraska Sports Director Bill Moos is looking for his third position as the men's head coach in Lincoln. He hired Scott Frost to lead the football program and Fred Hoiberg to coach men's basketball.

Nebraska arrived in Lincoln from Oklahoma City around 16:30. Monday, a day after the Huskers' season ended with a 16-1 loss to UConn against Oklahoma State Regional. Erstad told the team that he wanted to meet after his return and announced the news at the Haymarket Park clubhouse.

"It's very moving, I've never seen 35 to 40 guys crying in a room like this, we're so happy for Coach, he made a decision for him and his family and we let's all respect that, "said senior UN pitcher Robbie Palkert. "I've been talking about values ​​for four years, we value the family, we value each other above all else."

"Seeing this finally come true and embody it, like every day, but to finally get that closure, it's really cool."

Once the meeting was over, many players were still excited as they came out of the Nebraska Baseball Complex.

First-year pitcher Kyle Perry was still in tears over 40 minutes after learning the news and had a one-on-one encounter with Erstad.

"The first thing he said was," I'm sorry. " "It broke my heart and made every team member the best possible, on and off the pitch," said Perry. "He wanted to see his kids grow up.He talked to a lot of coaches he talked to: it's their only regret – not to see their kids grow up.There are so many things to do in this I respected his decision and we all respect him as much as a man.

"It's a shock, but at the end of the day it's a big step forward and a scary baseball match, for the sake of God."

Erstad's record in the NU was 267-193-1. The 2017 Huskers have won the Big Ten regular season title with Erstad named coach of the year.

Four of Erstad's eight teams finished second or better in the conference and his teams reached the Big Ten Tournament championship match in 2013, 2014 and 2019. Nebraska qualified for the regional game of the NCAA in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2019.

While Erstad brings back the program to respectability after three consecutive 12-digit Big 12 12-digit Big 12 defeats, the Huskers never reached the top of the 1999-2005 NU teams, which won four tournament titles Big 12, two championships of the regular season. only three appearances in College World Series in the program's history. NU had a 2-8 record in their four regional appearances under Erstad, including a 1-2 mark this season.

After losing to Indiana in the 2014 Big Ten Tournament Championship game, the Huskers lost 10 of their next 12 playoff games (Big Ten and NCAA tournaments) and failed to qualify for the Big Tournament. Ten 2018 after totaling 24-28 and 8-14. in the league.

This race included two consecutive 0-2 wins at the Big Ten tournament, with a 1-2 record in 2017 after the team's regular-season win.

Nebraska lost five straight games in the NCAA tournament, totaling nine points, before defeating UConn 8-5 Friday at Oklahoma City Regional.

The Huskers followed that win by taking a 5-0 lead over Oklahoma State, the No. 9 seed, and leading 5-2 in the ninth inning, before the Cowboys scored four in the match to get a 6-5 win. The return was limited by Trevor Boone's three-point homer with two outs in the ninth inning.

The Huskers' season ended Sunday with a 32-24 record after a 16-1 loss to UConn in a regional playoff game.

The lack of success in the post-season has led a growing part of fans to wonder if Erstad was the ideal candidate. But this criticism played no role in Erstad's decision, he said.

"I've been dealing with this all my life, as a player, you're under close scrutiny, I see it in a place like this, it's going to be that way," said Erstad. "In fact, I like that kind of thing, it keeps you on tiptoe, but it does not affect anything."

Erstad, as direct as they are in the coaching circle of Nebraska, seemed sincere in his desire to spend more time with his family. The decision, he said, was something he had been thinking about for two years.

"I remember last summer, I looked at my daughter and she grew up like a foot, you just have your head down and you can not recover those moments," Erstad said. "I've asked this question to many coaches over the last few years: what is your biggest regret about coaches, and you do not see your kids growing up.

"I'm not ready to lose those memories."