Gerald Cassard, former assistant for the Nicholls baseball team, recently joined the team’s staff as director of baseball operations. Cassard spoke about his new position, his responsibilities and college baseball.
Q: How did you get hired at Nicholls? What was the process like?
A: Well, I had a relationship with coach (Seth) Thibodeaux previously, and the opportunity came up, so he contacted me about it. It was really just the right fit at the right time.
Q: You came to Nicholls right? What is it like to be back?
A: You know Thibodaux is home for me. I was an assistant here for 10 years, so it is nice to see a lot of the guys I knew when I was here and things like that. It feels nice to be back.
Q: You were head coach at Loyola. How does your new position differ from being strictly a coach?
A:  It is a lot different. My duties are mainly in operations. I help the coach with day-to-day things, whether it is fundraising, alumni activities or travel plans. It could be using my years of expertise or just being someone that he can bounce ideas off of.  I am just here to help coach Thibodeaux in any way I can. I am really not doing much on the field coaching as far as pitching and fielding or anything like that.
Q: What draws you to coaching baseball?
A: For me, it had always been about the young men in our program. It is what draws me in. Just being able to help these guys become the men they want to be.  It keeps me young, too. When you are around these 19 and 20-year-old guys and their energy, it keeps you refreshed. It keeps you energized.
Q: So it is not just about baseball then?
A: Yeah, you are more than a coach. You can be everything from a mentor to a psychiatrist to just a helping friend. Baseball connects these guys to their future. It can help them be a better father, husband or businessman. It is really up to them. We are preparing them for the future.
Q: You guys play a ton of games. Is it hard to manage all of that?
A: Sometimes you have five games a week to go along with everything else. You have tutoring, the weight room and the classroom. You have to balance all of that. With 55 games a season, you have some late nights and early mornings, and these guys are young and have so many things going on. You have to manage all of that while still trying to get ready for a weekend series.
Q: There are no pro teams in the area. Do you think that puts you guys on another level as far where people go for baseball?
A: Ultimately, you want to put out a product the community can connect to. I think we can connect and have a great appeal to people. You want something that the community will come out and support. Also, bringing in teams like LSU, Tulane or any of these bigger programs from around the country helps you take a step up and bring something great.