Fired NMSU assistant baseball coach makes accusations of harassment, threats in police reports

A fired New Mexico State University assistant baseball coach filed several police reports that claimed harassment and threats from players and their family members.

In a series of police reports made last week, former assistant coach Mike Evans alleged he told the university of a number of players using marijuana and drinking alcohol.

In another report, Evans stated he believed he was fired “because he reported an incident where other baseball coaches and players were drinking and driving and partying before baseball games.”

Evans also claims in the police reports that he was harassed and threatened by the parents of Aggie players, some warning him he should fear for his safety.

Evans was let go in April.

Read the full police reports by clicking on the police reports link under related content to left of this article.

ABC-7 asked Athletic Director McKinley Boston what he thought of the allegations and if they are connected to head coach Rocky Ward’s termination this week.

Boston told ABC-7 “no comment.”

The Aggies baseball team finished the year with a losing record but Ward had one year left on his contract.

Ward’s firing was shocking for two reasons because Ward is the school’s all-time winningest baseball coach and because he helped secure a million dollar donation last year to help renovate Presley Askew Field.

It was an off year, but many thought that donation was enough to get him a free pass for a subpar season.

Evans’ bio from NMSU’s website:

Assistant coach Mike Evans enters his third season as the NM State pitching coach under head coach Rocky Ward in 2014.

Under Evans’ tutelage, the Aggie staff has had a pitcher go on to sign a Major League contract each of the last two years. In 2013, left-hander Ryan Beck was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 30 th round of the MLB draft. 2012 saw right-hand pitcher Tyler Mack sign a free-agent contract with the Kansas City Royals.

Beck was the Aggie ace in 2013, leading a pitching staff that struck out more batters than any other in the WAC (459). With Evans’ assistance, Beck finished his career No. 2 all-time in school history in strikeouts (308) and No. 3 in total wins (26).

During his first season with NM State in 2012, Evans helped right-hand starter Adam Mott and senior closer Scott Coffman to first team All-WAC honors. Coffman finished his Aggie career as the school’s all-time saves leader with 22 saves in his career.

Before joining Ward’s staff, Evans was the head coach at Bellevue University for 22 seasons. While at Bellevue, he tallied a 928-457-1 record and led the Bruins to 12 NAIA World Series appearances while earning a NAIA National Championship in 1995.

The Bruins were also NAIA World Series runners-up in 1997, while placing fourth in 1998, 2003 and 2007. Evans has the ability to turn good players into great players as he coached 12 All-Americans and has been named his conference’s coach of the year nine times in his first 20 years. He was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1995.

Evans helped his team to seven MCAC (Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference) regular-season titles, 11 MCAC Tournament titles and 18 district/regional championships. His team was continuously successful as his school made nine appearances in the NAIA College World Series in 10 years from 1998-2008.

An Omaha, Neb., native, Evans started his career at Omaha Creighton Prep High School for eight years (1975-1982), winning seven state titles. He entered the collegiate coaching ranks as an assistant coach at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. The Huskers were ranked as high as No. 4 nationally during the 1985 season and his pitching staff finished second nationally in ERA.

He is a 1975 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Omaha and earned a bachelor’s degree in education, while earning a master’s degree in education administration from Creighton in 1979.