In his first season with the Thundering Herd, head coach Jeff Waggoner led the squad to a 21-32 record which included a 15-11 mark at home. The Alliance Ohio native helped lead Marshall to a 5-18 record in Conference USA picking up series wins (wins in two out of three games) against both Memphis and Houston, and picked up a win against UCF.

Entering his second season at the helm, Waggoner will look to continue making strides in the 2008 season which features a solid schedule. Thirteen of Marshall's 2008 opponents, including Western Carolina, Kent State, N.C. State, Coastal Carolina, Ohio State, Rice, ECU and Southern Miss., made the NCAA Tournament last spring.

In addition to boasting a challenging schedule, the Herd will look to maintain its stellar home record under Waggoner's watch. The Herd welcomes conference foes Rice, Memphis, UCF and Southern Miss., to Appalachian Power Park in Charleston, W.Va.

Before taking over the head coaching position at Marshall, Waggoner spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the nationally-ranked North Carolina State University Wolfpack.

While with the Wolfpack, Waggoner was a part of two N.C. State teams that had a combined record of 81-41 and played in two NCAA tournaments. In 2006, N.C. State finished second in the ACC Tournament and was runner up in the NCAA Austin Regional. The Wolfpack ranked as high as seventh in the nation last season while finishing third nationally in hitting (.333) and second in the ACC in fielding percentage (.970).

A total of six players were named to All-ACC teams, with two (Ramon Corona and Matt Camp) claiming All-America honors.

Waggoner's responsibilities with the Wolfpack included player development, recruiting, academic support, travel and directing N.C. State's summer baseball camps.

Before his arrival in Raleigh, Waggoner spent two seasons at Kent State University. The Golden Flashes captured the 2004 MAC Tournament Championship during his tenure and also had seven players selected in the Major League Baseball draft.

He was also an assistant coach at George Washington University from 2000-02, where he helped guide the Colonials to a school record for wins in a season (42) and the Atlantic 10 championship in 2002. George Washington led the A-10 and was among the national leaders in both batting average (.326) and home runs (91) that season. The Colonials posted a two-year record of 80-45 during Waggoner's stay, and five GW players were selected in the MLB draft.

Before his two years at George Washington, Waggoner spent the 2000 season at the College of St. Rose in Albany, N.Y., helping St. Rose earn a berth in the Division II College World Series in 2000.

Waggoner has worked with two collegiate summer baseball teams. He was the head coach of the Arlington Senators of the Clark Griffith League in 2002, guiding the Senators to a 32-10 regular-season record, the Clark Griffith League championship, and the All-American Amateur Baseball Association (AAABA) national championship. Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for the Schenectady Mohawks of the New York Collegiate League in 1999 and 2000.

Waggoner lettered two years as a catcher at Cleveland State University, and graduated with a sport management degree in 1998. He played two years at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo., prior to transferring to Cleveland State.

Waggoner received his master's degree in educational psychology from St. Rose in 2001. He and his wife, Rachelle, were married on August 27, 2004.