11/15/2011

By LARRY MORITZ
Salina Journal
Board members with Salina Baseball Enterprises went with a known commodity when they named Jason Gordon as the newest head coach of the Salina Pestinger Falcons.
Gordon has 15 seasons of experience with the local American Legion baseball programs, including three years as a player and the last 12 as a member of the Legion coaching staff.
He was selected to replace Ryan Kolzow, who resigned this past summer after eight seasons as Falcons head coach to focus more time on coaching his young son’s baseball team.
Gordon’s background includes head coach of the Salina Hawks the past three seasons. The Hawks are made up of Salina 16-year-olds, while the Falcons include 17- and 18-year-olds.
"I’m really looking forward to it," Gordon said of his new assignment. "I felt like we had pretty good success at the junior Legion level and it had been a goal of mine to get to the highest level of the program.
"When Ryan said he was hanging it up, it crossed my mind to apply for the job and the board approached me as well."
In his three seasons has head coach of the Hawks, Gordon’s teams went 103-21. They finished as Legion Class A state runner-up in 2010, then won the Class A state title this past summer and advanced to the Legion Mid-States Regional in Fargo, N.D.
"We talked about it among the board and just saw this as a natural progression," said SBE board member Bill Meysenburg. "He’s done a good job at all levels, from being an assistant to a head coach.
"He’s been dedicated to the program since he was a player and works well with the kids. It was a natural fit to move him up to this position."
Gordon, a 1997 Salina South graduate, played one season with the Salina Hawks and two with the Falcons. He worked as an assistant under former head coach Kris Meis for four seasons, before being named head coach of the Salina Eagles in 2004.
The Eagles (15-year-olds) went 85-45 in four seasons under Gordon. When that program was temporarily disbanded in 2008, Gordon joined Kolzow’s staff as an assistant on the Falcons staff for one season.
"I enjoy seeing these kids have success on the baseball field and the relationships we build off the field," said Gordon, who is youth sports director at Salina YMCA. "It’s nice to have a part in these kids being successful and hopefully going on and playing at the next level with college baseball."
When he takes over the Falcons for the 2012 summer season, Gordon will coach many of the players he led with the Hawks this past summer, and any returning players from the Falcons, who finished runner-up at the Class AAA state Legion tournament in August.
"Obviously there are some big shoes to fill with all the great coaches that have gone through our program," Gordon said. "We have a pretty good nucleus of kids coming back from a Falcons team that was state runner-up and from a state championship Hawks team.
"I’m looking forward to having some pretty good athletes on the baseball field next summer."
Gordon takes over a program that has made 16 state tournament appearances in the last 22 years. In that span, the Falcons have finished third or better at state 11 times, including three state titles.
"Among Legion programs in Kansas, Salina baseball has been pretty good," Gordon said. "A lot of successful coaches have gone through our program and I hope to follow in their footsteps."
"Jason knows our philosophy and what we want to do," Meysenburg said. "He teaches the game the way it should be taught. He’s a little bit old school, but he adapts to the kids."
Gordon’s promotion will leave an opening with the Hawks program. Meysenburg said applications for Hawks head coach will be accepted through Friday, December 2 and interviews will be held after that date. Longtime coach Dee Kolzow will return as head coach of the Salina Eagles next summer.
Anyone interested in the Hawks position should send resumés to Salina Baseball Enterprises, in care of Bill Meysenburg, 401 Laura, Salina, 67401.

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