Prep coaching icon Fairless quits CCSN job

Wednesday, May 5, 1999 | 11:28 a.m.

Local prep baseball coaching icon Rodger Fairless, hired March 18 as the first baseball coach at Community College of Southern Nevada, has resigned the post effective immediately.

Fairless cited health reasons -- he had back surgery last June -- as his reason for stepping down even before CCSN could hold its first practice.

"We're all surprised and we're all disappointed," CCSN athletic director Mike Meyer said. "He thought he was back physically and I think he was fooling himself."

Meyer said the school would conduct another search to find a coach. He hopes to have a new coach in place by July 1.

Fairless, who coached Valley High and Green Valley High to 12 state championships during 17 seasons on the local prep scene, resigned as the Green Valley head coach earlier this year to pursue the CCSN job. He continues to teach physical education at Green Valley.

Other finalists for the CCSN position included Bishop Gorman coach Tim Chambers and former CCSN club coach Chris Pfatenhauer.

Chambers, UNLV assistant M.J. Mariani and Las Vegas Baseball Academy owner Mike Martin will oversee the program until Fairless' replacement is named.

Fairless has produced several professional baseball players, including current major leaguers Greg Maddux, Mike Morgan and Tyler Houston, Pirates' prospect Chad Hermanson and a trio of 1998 draftees -- Mike Nannini, Joe Orloski and Dave Jensen.

CCSN, which plans to field teams in as many as 10 sports during the next 10 years, will begin its first full-fledged baseball campaign in spring 2000.