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After beginning at UD in 1999, Todd Linklater was promoted to Associate Head Coach of Flyer Baseball on August 28, 2006. At Dayton, Linklater serves as the pitching coach as well as the player development coordinator, which entails the designing and application of the strength program for all players. He also plays a major role in the recruiting process. "Todd has always been an integral part of our program," Vittorio said. "Throughout Todd's playing and coaching careers, he has always shown great work ethic and outstanding loyalty. His attention to every detail along with his progressive approach to development makes him one of the best coaches in the country" Since coming to UD, Linklater's pitchers have made a habit of record-setting performances and success after their career as a Flyer is complete. A Dayton pitcher has been selected in three of the last four MLB Drafts and four of the last six overall. In 2008 the Flyer Pitching Staff finished with a 4.24 ERA which ranked 1st in the Atlantic 10 and 30th Nationally out of 286 Division I teams. This stellar staff also lead the A10 in walks given up per nine innings and ranked 27th nationally. Last year's staff featured two pitchers that have or will pitch in the prestigious Cape Cod Collegiate Summer League. Coach Link's list of protégés is highlighted by current Oakland A, Jerry Blevins. Blevins earned his way onto the A's roster just before the Major League Baseball All Star Game in 2008. He finished with 37.2 innings pitched with a 3.11 ERA in 36 appearances as he proved to be a crucial component to the A's bull pen. Blevins was drafted in the 17th round at the conclusion of his junior year in 2004. During his Junior year, Blevins was joined by Craig Stammen and Luke Trubee to form the most prolific pitching staff at UD to date. Stammen was drafted in the 12th round in 2005. He finished the 2008 season in AAA for the Columbus Clippers (Washington nationals) and is knocking on the MLB door. Trubee, a career 30 game winner during his time at UD, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 33rd round at the conclusion of his senior year in 2006. Luke holds the records for single season and career strikeouts along with single season and career wins at the University of Dayton. In UD's school-record 36 win season of 2005, the Flyer pitching staff had the lowest team ERA in 34 years with a 4.41 mark. The right handed duo of Trubee and Stammen each recorded the top two UD single-season marks for both strikeouts, innings pitched, and complete games. The right-handers tied for the national lead in complete games with 9 a piece. Closer, Craig Rohren was named the Atlantic 10 Reliever of the Year in that same year with a 4-1 record to go along with 10 saves and an opponent's batting average of .214. In 2003, UD's pitching staff recorded 301 strikeouts-the third highest single season mark in UD's 100 year history, bested only by the 332 put up by 2002 squad and the 343 in 2006. During '02 Dayton reached the then record 32-win mark for a second consecutive season in large part to a pitching staff that featured four pitchers that would go on to play professionally after their tenure under Coach "Link." The quartet was highlighted by seniors Mike Kerins, who collected eight wins, tying him for the career wins mark of 19, and Sam Fischer, who would later be selected in the 22nd round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the Houston Astros. Kerins joined Linklater pupils Mike Rolih (who formerly held the single-season win mark and was named to the A-10's All-Conference squad in 2001) and Aaron Pahs (who was a second-team All-Conference performer in 2002) on the roster of the Frontier League's Richmond Roosters. In all, Linklater has coached seven players to professional careers. In the summer of 2003, beyond his responsibilities at Dayton, Linklater also served as the head coach of the Southern Ohio Copperheads of the Great Lakes Collegiate Wood Bat League. There, he led the Copperheads to a fifth-place finish in conference play and a return trip to the league tournament in just their second year of existence. Linklater began his collegiate playing career at Lincoln Trail Community College, pitching for the Statesmen from 1992-93. He then transferred to Lake Forest College where he played football and graduated with a degree in History in 1996. His coaching career began at Lake Forest High School where he served as pitching coach from 1996-97. In December of 2002, he finished his master's degree in Educational Leadership at UD after earning his bachelor's in Education at Indiana University in 1999.
Linklater lives in Kettering with his wife Kerry and three daughters Caroline, Elizabeth and Madeline. WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT TODD LINKLATER "All coaches have the need to convince, coax and eventually produce players whose effort and focus is continuously optimal. This goal is achieved by each coach in a different way. Instead of relying, as many coaches do, upon authority, Coach Linklater's extreme effectiveness stems from his unique ability to instruct, lead and mentor in a manner that attains immense respect from his players. By valuing first the person and only then their skills, Coach Link earns this respect and in doing so cultivates top performers." Tom Beechem "My years at the University of Dayton as a student athlete were a great life experience for me. I made friends that I will stay in contact with throughout the years. Along with friendships, my time at UD has given me the faith in myself needed to play professional baseball. The coaches and my teammates were always there to challenge me and to push me to the next level. Coach Linklater was tremendous in my development as a pitcher both physically and mentally. There is no doubt in my mind that my childhood dream of playing professional baseball would not be possible if it were not for the mental and physical support that Coach Link provided. I wish nothing but the best for the program that helped me tremendously. I will be a FLYER for life." Jerry Blevins
"Coach Linklater displays the dedication, passion, work ethic and savvy any player admires and dreams for in a coach. My career has taken on new heights past college baseball, but the roots to which I learned how to be a complete baseball player start with the time Coach Linklater dedicated to making me as good as I could possibly be. As my pro career has continued, I have encountered many pitching coaches, yet, every offseason I make sure that I spend as much time as I can breaking down any aspect of pitching I can with Coach Link. There is no question in my mind that there is no harder working individual in the coaching profession than Todd Linklater. Just as every player desires to get better each and every year, Coach Linklater displays the same attitude. His character is unwavering, which is why I have the upmost respect and admiration for him." Craig Stammen "Coach Linklater is without a doubt, an asset to the game of baseball. His passion and enthusiasm for the game, and the teaching of the game, is unmatched by anyone that I have ever met. He has a great desire to help people get better and help them follow their dreams. I played for Coach Link for four years at the University of Dayton and would definitely not have had the success that I did without the constant pressure to get better and everyday guidance from Coach Link. He is fun to work with and is going to be a positive influence wherever his life and career take him." Luke Trubee
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