Emporia State athletic director Kent Weiser is conducting his 4th head coach search this year. He has hired Toby Wynn as the womens basketball coach after Jory Collins left to become an assistant at Kansas. He has hired Craig Doty as the mens basketball coach after Shaun Vandiver left to become an assistant at Wyoming. He is now searching for a head baseball and head tennis coach.
Baseball Coach Bob Fornelli left Emporia State for Pittsburg State. One of the reasons he left for Pitt State was Pittsburg States ability to fund the program to make it easier to compete for a national championship with more scholarships and operating funds. Emporia State athletic director Kent Weiser, on a recent addition of Saturday Morning Sports Talk, said there are a number of factors that come into play when it comes to funding athletics.
According to MIAA numbers Emporia State is in the bottom third of athletic budgets in the conference. Kent Weiser says that does present some challenges.
Emporia States athletic budget for the 2017-18 school year was $2.8 million dollars. It is funded by student fees, donations and state funds. When it comes to student fees for athletics Emporia State students pay $26 dollars less then at Pittsburg State. The enrollment is also lower at Emporia State. Pittsburg State is able to generate almost $900 thousand dollars more in student fees then Emporia State. The funding challenges are faced not only by baseball but by all 15 of the sports Emporia State sponsors.
