FAYETTE, Mo. – A week before the 1992 fall classes were to begin at Central Methodist University, 22-year old Pat Reardon received a phone call, in which he was asked to come to the president's office for an 8 a.m. meeting the following morning. How little did he realize that it was that meeting that would create such a huge change in motion, for him, his family, the CMU softball program and the University.
Nearly 25 years and 1,200 softball games later, Reardon would not only lead the program into national prominence, but he also become a member of the '700 Club' when he directed the CMU Eagles to an 8-3 win over Morningside College on March 4th at the Gulf Shores Invitational. As of today, Reardon's record stands at 706-492-2.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Reardon arrived at Central Methodist in 1986 on a soccer scholarship. Four years later he was a four-year letterman, all-conference and all-district performer and school record-holder in single-season scoring and career goals. In addition to those accomplishments, he played three years on the CMU baseball team.
In May 1990 he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management. Later that summer he became engaged to his wife, Leslie, and planned on pursuing his Master's degree at University of Missouri in nearby Columbia.
"At that time I was looking at things in Columbia," Pat said as he reflected back. "I thought I might want to go to law school. I started my MBA that fall and in two weeks I knew I didn't want to wear a suit and tie and didn't want to be in that environment."
Pat finished out the semester, but then elected to return to Central Methodist as a graduate assistant for the soccer programs. While Leslie finished her last year at CMU, Pat embarked on what he thought was his soccer coaching career.
Reardon became taking the reins of the women's soccer team in 1991-92, while coaching tennis in the spring.
Now married, Reardon received word from his wife that the president wanted him in his office at 8 a.m. the next morning. He said when he arrived the entire senior coaching staff was present and sitting around a table. He was asked if he wanted the job as head coach of the men's and women's soccer programs and he had two hours to decide. He accepted.
Reardon said it was a tough two years, coaching both soccer teams and tennis in the spring. Within those two years the softball coach had resigned. Urged by the baseball coach to make a switch, Reardon became head softball coach for the 1993 season, while continuing to coach the soccer programs. He also received his Master's degree in Sports Management from Missouri that year.
Two years later he gave up men's soccer, leading the women's soccer and softball programs simultaneously until 2003.
"Beginning in 1999 I realized there was a transition to coaching becoming more of a year-around sport," he stated. "You had to recruit more and during that time I began losing my passion for coaching soccer. I really, really enjoyed softball."
In 2005 he said he gave up soccer, continuing to coach softball while accepting an assistant athletics director position.
KEEPING THINGS 'ALL IN THE FAMILY'
More pieces to the puzzle began falling into place for Reardon and his family in 2006 when his father, Gene Reardon, a former All-American baseball player at Washburn University, retired from his governmental positions and began helping the softball program.
"It was kind of a perfect storm because right about the time I took over just coaching softball, my dad retired and came to help me," Pat stated. "And if you notice, that is when we made the transition from be just a softball program to a recognized program across the country."
Leslie had played softball at CMU and, while playing baseball, Pat followed the program, as did most of the baseball players. "We are kind of a brother-sister kinds of sports," he explained. "The softball team would support the baseball team and we supported them. That's how my interest in the sport grew."
But it wasn't exactly a smooth transition with Gene coming on the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant.
"At one time Dad had a big-time job for the government as Auditor General for the Department of the Army for 15 years," Pat explained. "When I was in school he was Deputy Auditor and we lived in St. Louis. My senior year he got a promotion and he went to (Washington) D.C. and my mom stayed behind because my brother had one year of (high) school left. After they were both in D.C. for 15 years, my mom packed up and said she was coming back.
"When Dad retired I said 'why don't you come out a couple days a week and help with the program.' It transitioned into this role and that role and then he was going to watch games. He has become my recruiting coordinator from Pennsylvania to California to Florida, mostly on his own dime. He became known across the country at venues and by schools. Obviously recruiting is very important to winning games and it has been tremendous to have him in that position.
"What started out as keeping Dad busy turned into a job that is more full-time than anyone would want to be. And he's just a volunteer."
But because of their different personalities, Pat said it was a challenge working with his father – at first.
"It was extremely challenging for the first couple of years, especially because he was coming off a position where he was in charge of whatever he was doing," Pat said. "And our personalities are different. I'm more like my mom – laid back and plan last-minute. Dad is Type-A and plans four years in advance. But we've learned from each other."
It's transitioned to a great relationship on the field and off.
"Having the opportunity to spend time with your dad every day and working with him on things he does has been great," Pat stated. "And his motivation for what he does each day is because I'm his son. He's not looking for rewards. I think it has made us closer. There has been challenges, but not near as many in the last 4-5 years as there were in the first few years. I guess we both found our roles."
Pat, who just turned 49, enjoys having his 72-year old father around. He knows, not only because it's his father, but because of his age, that he can trust him. It's the same with the other coaches on Pat's staff. Ross Dowell is in his ninth season as a 'volunteer' assistant, as is third-year coach Neil Hanson. Other assistants include second-year graduate assistant Sam Kircher and first-year graduate assistants and former All-Americans Michele Rupard and Lauren Geringer.
"Having assistant coaches I can trust has been the key to creating a winning program," Pat explained. "Ross actually started out with me and he's been with me in some form all the way through. He would come down at times every once in a while and now he comes down from New Franklin every day.
"Having trust on a coaching staff is huge. While I don't have any full-time assistants, my GAs have either been through my program or are someone I've known along the way. Sam didn't play in my program, but she played in New Franklin and I've known her since the sixth grade.
"I told this to my staff the other day, 'The coach gets the recognition for 700 wins, but I am not out there diving for balls. The players are the ones winning games and my coaches have had a huge impact in doing that.' I have two first-year coaches who are former All-Americans, Neil (Hanson) is a dorm director and has stuck around for a third year. And my dad and Ross are also a huge part of making these wins possible."
GETTING OVER THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN
Pat looks back at a couple of years when the program topped the mountain, so to speak. The first year was 2008 when the Eagles won their first Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Championship.
"That year set the tone for us. We lost to Columbia College in a game that would have put us in the national tournament. But winning the conference was huge."
"The first year we went to nationals was also a year I won't forget. That pitch, that game, that location are the things I'll remember vividly."
Starting in 2007, Central Methodist began a run of nine-straight years with 30 or more victories. The Eagles have captured six consecutive Heart of America Athletic Conference championships and 2016 was the sixth straight year Reardon was named Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Coach of the Year. He's won the award seven times overall.
The CMU softball coaching staff has been named the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NAIA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year six times.
In 2015 the Eagles advanced to the World Series for the first time, finishing the season fifth in the nation, it's best finish in the program's history.
THE FEELING OF WINNING 700
In over 30 years as a student and coach at Central Methodist, there have been nearly 1,200 games to get to the 700-win mark.
"There have been a lot of losses too," Pat said jokingly. "I'm 49 years old and when you sit back and think that you've spent over half of your life at this place; that's a long time. There are challenges every week, but there are also many more good things that keep me here.
"The relationships with the players keep me going. Even on my worst days an email from a former player really picks me up.
"This is not what I thought my career path would be when I came to college here, but having my Dad come back here and my family has really been rewarding from that standpoint."
It was special to share the 700th win with his daughter, Addy, who is a sophomore leftfielder on the squad.
"I'm sure it's hard for Addy playing for her dad and grandpa," Pat admitted. "I think in 20 years the memories of her player here are going to be tremendous, but she has a similar personality to my Dad and so they butt heads a little. I'm sure it's a challenge for her because she's playing for Dad and grandpa. But she does a great job."
Pat said he also gets tremendous support from his son Avery, who is a junior at Boonville High School.
The Eagles are currently 15-7 on the season and one game out of first place in the Southern Division of the Heart with a 6-2 league mark. With the 700-win mark behind them, Pat Reardon, the winningest coach in the Heart of America Athletic Conference history, and his team are now aiming for their seventh straight Heart regular season championship.
CMU Softball Contact: John Krueger
Phone: 936-332-9332 | jkrueger@centralmethodist.edu
CMU Athletics: Twitter | Facebook
CMU Softball: Twitter
Website: www.CMUEagles.com
