Per RU Athletics Communications
Glen Gardner Announces Retirement
Veteran mentor spent 29 seasons on staff after a distinguished playing career
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Aug. 8, 2019) – After 29 seasons on the Rutgers baseball staff, Glen Gardner has announced his retirement. “Beef,” one of the most prolific hitters in program history, was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. Following his playing career, he worked 18 seasons as an assistant coach under Fred Hill before serving as the director of baseball operations, volunteer assistant coach and senior advisor to the head coach.
“This is the time to retire,” Gardner said. “I’ve been thinking about it since April. It is a long drive every day from Point Pleasant and that was wearing on me. I will definitely miss the players. Seeing them develop on the off the field was the best part of the job. I feel great now, but this the right time to step away. I’ve had a good run.”
“We would like to thank Glen for his many years of dedication and service to Rutgers,” Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs said. “One of the great student-athletes and coaches in program history, Glen has positively impacted countless Scarlet Knights through his expertise and selfless attitude. The Rutgers baseball program set a new standard and built a rich tradition due to Glen's efforts. He is truly someone who demonstrates grit, perseverance and resiliency every day.”
After playing at Immaculata High School, where he once had a streak of 15 consecutive at bats with a hit, Gardner was one of Hill’s earliest recruits at Rutgers. He immediately became an impact player by hitting .398/.470/.580 in 1986 on 70 hits with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 102 total bases to earn ABCA/Baseball America Freshman All-America status. Gardner followed that up by hitting .368 with eight homers, 22 doubles, a .658 slugging percentage and 45 RBIs in 1987 to collect Collegiate Baseball All-America Third Team. The San Diego Padres selected the outfielder in the 13th round of the 1987 MLB Draft, but Gardner opted to return to Rutgers for his junior season.
Gardner achieved All-Atlantic 10 honors for the third-straight season in 1988 by hitting nine long balls and was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 59th round of the draft. He ended up a .356 collegiate hitter with 141 RBIs and still appears in the school record books, being eighth with 336 career total bases, 10th with a .595 slugging percentage, 10th with 23 homers and 10th with 11 triples.
Gardner kept hitting at the professional level in 1988 with a .316/.376/.496 slash line with 10 homers and 51 RBIs in 68 games for Pulaski. He moved up to Sumter in 1989 with 28 stolen bases and 71 RBIs with a .381 on-base percentage before knocking in 61 with 40 extra-base hits in 1990 at Burlington. However, being struck by a batted ball in the eye ended a promising career.
Gardner was then back on campus finishing his degree at Rutgers and was offered a coaching job by Hill for the 1991 season. He became the right-hand man for Hill overseeing the day-to-day responsibilities of the program, recruiting and serving as the hitting and outfielders coach. Known for his easygoing nature and ability to communicate with the players, Gardner played a key role in the rise of Rutgers baseball.
“I never thought I would be a coach,” Gardner said. “When coach Hill asked me to help out, I was around finishing school and had some extra time to be around the team. Little by little, I started figuring it out. I always enjoyed working with hitters and helping them be the best they could be. I’ll always be grateful to coach Hill for giving me the chance.”
The Scarlet Knights secured 870 wins, eight NCAA Regional appearances, seven regular season conference championships and five conference tournament titles with Gardner on staff. That included hosting an NCAA Regional in 2000, a rarity for a Northeast school. Gardner played a key role in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.
From 1998-2002, Rutgers posted a team batting average over .310 and several of its players ranked among the nation's best. Darren Fenster (.433) and Joe B. Cirone (.405) finished in the top 40 nationally in 2000, while Billy McCarthy (.423) accomplished the feat in 2001. In 2003, RU posted a team average of .307, with a school-record 319 walks and .409 on-base percentage. In 2004, Jeff Frazier set the school's career home run record (34) in just three seasons before his brother Todd Frazier eclipsed the mark in 2007 with a record 42 in the same span. Both were drafted after three seasons with Jeff going to the Detroit Tigers in the third round in 2004 and Todd going to the Cincinnati Reds in the first round in 2007.
In 2007, the Scarlet Knights belted a school record 63 home runs, highlighted by Todd Frazier's school-record 22 blasts - a testament to Gardner's results of the continued development of the players. His work with Todd Frazier transformed the shortstop into a First Team All-American and one of the top professional prospects in 2007.
“The secret to all that success was player development,” Gardner said. “The players and coaches were committed to winning.”
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Gardner moved into an off-field role, but continued to impact the program. He was recognized as a winner of the 2016 Tom Walter/Pete Frates College Baseball Inspiration Award and was the inaugural honoree of the Rutgers Athletics True Grit Award in 2017.
Glen Gardner Announces Retirement
Veteran mentor spent 29 seasons on staff after a distinguished playing career
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (Aug. 8, 2019) – After 29 seasons on the Rutgers baseball staff, Glen Gardner has announced his retirement. “Beef,” one of the most prolific hitters in program history, was inducted into the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. Following his playing career, he worked 18 seasons as an assistant coach under Fred Hill before serving as the director of baseball operations, volunteer assistant coach and senior advisor to the head coach.
“This is the time to retire,” Gardner said. “I’ve been thinking about it since April. It is a long drive every day from Point Pleasant and that was wearing on me. I will definitely miss the players. Seeing them develop on the off the field was the best part of the job. I feel great now, but this the right time to step away. I’ve had a good run.”
“We would like to thank Glen for his many years of dedication and service to Rutgers,” Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs said. “One of the great student-athletes and coaches in program history, Glen has positively impacted countless Scarlet Knights through his expertise and selfless attitude. The Rutgers baseball program set a new standard and built a rich tradition due to Glen's efforts. He is truly someone who demonstrates grit, perseverance and resiliency every day.”
After playing at Immaculata High School, where he once had a streak of 15 consecutive at bats with a hit, Gardner was one of Hill’s earliest recruits at Rutgers. He immediately became an impact player by hitting .398/.470/.580 in 1986 on 70 hits with six home runs, 45 RBIs and 102 total bases to earn ABCA/Baseball America Freshman All-America status. Gardner followed that up by hitting .368 with eight homers, 22 doubles, a .658 slugging percentage and 45 RBIs in 1987 to collect Collegiate Baseball All-America Third Team. The San Diego Padres selected the outfielder in the 13th round of the 1987 MLB Draft, but Gardner opted to return to Rutgers for his junior season.
Gardner achieved All-Atlantic 10 honors for the third-straight season in 1988 by hitting nine long balls and was selected by the Atlanta Braves in the 59th round of the draft. He ended up a .356 collegiate hitter with 141 RBIs and still appears in the school record books, being eighth with 336 career total bases, 10th with a .595 slugging percentage, 10th with 23 homers and 10th with 11 triples.
Gardner kept hitting at the professional level in 1988 with a .316/.376/.496 slash line with 10 homers and 51 RBIs in 68 games for Pulaski. He moved up to Sumter in 1989 with 28 stolen bases and 71 RBIs with a .381 on-base percentage before knocking in 61 with 40 extra-base hits in 1990 at Burlington. However, being struck by a batted ball in the eye ended a promising career.
Gardner was then back on campus finishing his degree at Rutgers and was offered a coaching job by Hill for the 1991 season. He became the right-hand man for Hill overseeing the day-to-day responsibilities of the program, recruiting and serving as the hitting and outfielders coach. Known for his easygoing nature and ability to communicate with the players, Gardner played a key role in the rise of Rutgers baseball.
“I never thought I would be a coach,” Gardner said. “When coach Hill asked me to help out, I was around finishing school and had some extra time to be around the team. Little by little, I started figuring it out. I always enjoyed working with hitters and helping them be the best they could be. I’ll always be grateful to coach Hill for giving me the chance.”
The Scarlet Knights secured 870 wins, eight NCAA Regional appearances, seven regular season conference championships and five conference tournament titles with Gardner on staff. That included hosting an NCAA Regional in 2000, a rarity for a Northeast school. Gardner played a key role in identifying, recruiting and developing talent.
From 1998-2002, Rutgers posted a team batting average over .310 and several of its players ranked among the nation's best. Darren Fenster (.433) and Joe B. Cirone (.405) finished in the top 40 nationally in 2000, while Billy McCarthy (.423) accomplished the feat in 2001. In 2003, RU posted a team average of .307, with a school-record 319 walks and .409 on-base percentage. In 2004, Jeff Frazier set the school's career home run record (34) in just three seasons before his brother Todd Frazier eclipsed the mark in 2007 with a record 42 in the same span. Both were drafted after three seasons with Jeff going to the Detroit Tigers in the third round in 2004 and Todd going to the Cincinnati Reds in the first round in 2007.
In 2007, the Scarlet Knights belted a school record 63 home runs, highlighted by Todd Frazier's school-record 22 blasts - a testament to Gardner's results of the continued development of the players. His work with Todd Frazier transformed the shortstop into a First Team All-American and one of the top professional prospects in 2007.
“The secret to all that success was player development,” Gardner said. “The players and coaches were committed to winning.”
After being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, Gardner moved into an off-field role, but continued to impact the program. He was recognized as a winner of the 2016 Tom Walter/Pete Frates College Baseball Inspiration Award and was the inaugural honoree of the Rutgers Athletics True Grit Award in 2017.
