Power to decide on assistant coaches rests with baseball coach Todd Butler, even in case of Brent Kemnitz

The authority to hire and fire assistants rests with Wichita State baseball coach Todd Butler, even in the case of a multi-year contract such as the one signed by pitching coach Brent Kemnitz.

“I hire head coaches; head coaches have the right to make any decision they feel necessary for their assistant coaches,” interim athletic director Darron Boatright said.

Kemnitz’s role on the coaching staff significantly diminished over the past three seasons and his future with the program seems unclear. He is no ordinary assistant, largely because of his 38-season tenure and record of success. Most assistants sign one-year deals; he has two years remaining on his contract.

Early in Butler’s tenure, Butler took pitch-calling duties away from the catcher, a long Shocker tradition, and gave them to assistant coach Brian Walker. Kemnitz is no longer recruiting coordinator and Butler will take over scheduling duties for next season. At least twice this season, Kemnitz missed games while on a recruiting trip, something unprecedented in his previous 37 seasons.

Kemnitz, who makes a base salary of $166,924, signed a five-year contract in 2013, when he stayed on as pitching coach after the firing of former coach Gene Stephenson. Kemnitz helped then-athletic director Eric Sexton and Boatright hire Butler.

Should WSU dismiss Kemnitz, it would almost certainly have to pay him the remainder of his contract, barring termination for cause.

“In terms of a decision on an assistant coach who has a multi-year contract — that multi-year contract is with the department,” Boatright said. “If a coach wanted to make a change and that was the case, then, sure, they would consult the department about that. Ultimately, a coach has to have the ability to have on his staff the individuals that they want on their staff.”

When asked if Kemnitz will return next season, Boatright said, “I haven’t had a conversation otherwise.”

Both Butler and Boatright had duties that took them away from Wichita since the Shockers ended the season.

Butler will return to Wichita this week after attending to family matters in Louisiana. He declined, via text message, further comment. Boatright spent much of last week at Missouri Valley Conference meetings in Osage Beach, Mo.

Kemnitz also declined to comment.

The Shockers finished their second straight losing season in late May with a 21-37 record. The pitching staff, hurt by injuries and inexperience, compiled a 5.97 ERA after a 5.10 ERA in 2015, the program’s worst marks since 6.20 in 1978.

Butler, Boatright has made clear, will return for a fourth season. Butler’s contract runs until June 30, 2020 and he is paid $320,000 a year.

“I’m sure there are disappointed (fans), as are the players and coaches, with the results,” Boatright said. “If you’re looking for positives, you can lean on the hitting performances, during the bulk of the Missouri Valley Conference, from underclassmen. If you’re looking for negative things to get further upset about, you can find them.”

Butler, a former assistant coach at Arkansas and Alabama and head coach at McNeese State, replaced Stephenson after the 2013 season. WSU went 31-28 in his first season, followed by last season’s 26-33 record. The Shockers are 32-31 in MVC play with no finish higher than a tie for third in 2015 in the past three seasons.

“We’re committed to seeing this thing through and getting better,” Boatright said. “I don’t think there’s a specific timetable you can put on it. I think that you have to have an understanding of what’s going on in the program, you have to have an understanding of the ability to recruit talent and then to coach to improve that talent.”

WSU’s future rests with a talented class that includes MVC co-Freshman of the Year first baseman Greyson Jenista, third baseman Alec Bohm, outfielder Dayton Dugas and others. The Shockers led the Valley in batting average (.293), on-base percentage (.368) and runs (130) in MVC games. Six of its top seven hitters should return for next season. However, the pitching and defense must improve significantly. WSU ranked last in the MVC in ERA during MVC games, 5.87, and seventh in fielding percentage .970) with 22 errors in 21 games.

WSU’s power ranking (RPI), No. 103 in Stephenson’s final season, improved to No. 78 in Butler’s first season before dropping to No. 123 in 2015 and No. 183 this season.

Butler’s teams played significantly tougher schedules than in Stephenson’s final years as coach. WSU’s strength of schedule ranked No. 48 in 2016, preceded by No. 47 and No. 52. The Shockers played seven non-conference opponents who made the NCAA regionals and went 3-15 against that group.

WSU’s strength of schedule ranked No. 109 or lower in three of Stephenson’s final four seasons.

“I don’t like all (the trends) … and I’m sure Coach Butler doesn’t either, but there are things I’m pretty excited about in our baseball program,” Boatright said.

This story was originally published June 5, 2016 at 5:05 PM with the headline "Power to decide on assistant coaches rests with baseball coach Todd Butler, even in case of Brent Kemnitz."