Raleigh choice for UT baseball

The University of Tennessee will announce Western Carolinas Todd Raleigh as its new head baseball coach in an 11 a.m. press conference today at Neyland Stadiums East Side Club, multiple sources told the News Sentinel.

Raleigh, 38, will replace Rod Delmonico, who was fired earlier this month after 18 seasons at Tennessee.

As expected, Rod Delmonicos son, Tony, a UT sophomore and former high school All-American at Farragut High, will transfer to Florida State, the familys attorney said.

Tony Delmonico was an All-SEC tournament selection this season for the Vols, and led the team in runs, RBIs, walks and home runs.

Delmonicos attorney, Terry Adkins, said a lot of colleges expressed interest in Tony and sent their condolences to Rod. It was really an outpouring.

Rod Delmonico, UTs winningest baseball coach, is on vacation in Miami and unavailable for comment.

Raleighs hiring comes after other potential candidates opted not to leave their jobs.

One of those, Michigan coach Rich Maloney, interviewed for the Tennessee job last weekend but has reached a five-year deal with the Wolverines that is expected to make him the highest paid coach in the Big Ten, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Arizona State coach Pat Murphy, whose name surfaced on Internet message boards Wednesday and in an Arizona newspaper linked to the Tennessee job, was contacted by a search firm hired by UT but never interviewed for the job according to the East Valley (Ariz.) Tribune.

Raleigh, a Vermont native and Western Carolina alumnus, posted a 257-209 record in eight seasons as the Catamounts head coach.

Western Carolina finished the 2007 season 42-20 and earned the programs second NCAA bid under Raleigh.

The Catamounts advanced to the Chapel Hill, N.C., regional final before bowing out to No. 3 national seed North Carolina, which still is alive in the College World Series.

The Vols are 7-0 against Western Carolina since Raleigh took over in 2000.

However, Raleigh helped guide Western Carolina to road upsets of Clemson and Georgia Tech in 2006, when both teams advanced to the College World Series. In 2005, his Catamounts defeated then-No. 1 Georgia Tech.

Western Carolina finished 15-38 in Raleighs first season replacing Rodney Hennon, but improved to 43-21 in 2003, when it won the Southern Conference and reached the finals of its NCAA regional.

Western Carolina has produced its share of major-college coaches.

Prior to Hennon, the late East Carolina coach Keith LeClair coached at Western Carolina.

LeClair took over for current Clemson University coach Jack Leggett in 1991.

Before taking over at Western Carolina, Raleigh spent the 1999 season as the hitting instructor and recruiting coordinator at East Carolina.

Prior to that, Raleigh made stops as an assistant at James Madison, Belmont Abbey, Western Carolina and the University of Vermont.

Attempts to reach Raleigh at his office beginning Wednesday morning were unsuccessful.