Leadership Lessons, Coaching College Baseball & Kicking Cancer's A$$ with Gee Cassard

Gee Cassard is the Head Baseball Coach at Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville, Louisiana. We first met when he recruited me to play baseball at Nicholls State University, where he was the Assistant Coach / Head Recruiter at the time.

Coach Gee gave me a chance to play Division I baseball, and for that I’m forever grateful. I don’t know how my life works out if he doesn’t give me a shot.

In this episode, we spend significant time swapping baseball stories. We recall games & road trips we shared at NSU at the turn of the century, which included “the bus trip from hell”—we went up to UL-Monroe for three games, west to Dallas for a rest stop, before driving up to Kansas to play the iconic Wichita State Shockers. Then we drove south to Texas State University for a controversial series that ultimately took us out of contention.

We reminisce about Rondon Anderson’s “walk-up” song: Project Chick by Cash Money Millionaires. Also, we discuss Rondon’s moonshot homeruns and the whip he could generate with the bat ala Bryce Harper. And I share what Matt Overman (former Nicholls St. Ace & Miami Marlins signee) remembers about Coach Gee.

I tell the story of a game we struck out 17 times against Lamar University pitcher Clay Hensley. As a San Diego Padres pitcher, he gave up Barry Bonds’ 755th homerun, before getting suspended by MLB for steroid use. Gee & I also discuss how much steroids were part of baseball’s culture in those years.

We recall a game at Turchin Stadium against 9th-ranked Tulane [at the time], in which I was ejected from the game after arguing whether I should be allowed to take first base after getting hit by a pitch (HBP). I’d never heard Coach’s perspective on that game, which is forever etched in both our minds due to the homeplate umpire’s outlandish behavior. My first-ever collegiate grand slam was overturned due to this beta ump named Eddie Newsome.

Additionally, we discuss Nicholls State’s lack of resources during those years. Coach Gee said we weren’t on equal footing. “There were times when they [athletics] weren’t fully funded. [Nicholls State] didn’t have the budget for recruiting, operations, and at times, [11.7] scholarships.

We also discuss Coach Gee’s colon cancer diagnosis & how he survived. He says he rejected symptoms initially, thinking nothing was wrong with him. It wasn’t until he was referred to a doctor that he found out he had not one, but two tumors.

His advice to listeners is to always monitor your health, listen to your body, and go see a doctor if something doesn’t feel right. He says colon cancer is not an old man’s disease and could happen to any of us—women included—regardless of age.

Gee’s wife, Courtney, was amazing throughout his ordeal. He tells the story of when they first learned of his diagnosis—their parents were crying in the hospital waiting room, and Courtney stood up and said, “Look, we’re not crying. We’re gonna kick cancer’s ass.”

And they did.

Insightful discussion with a man I greatly respect & admire. Gee might be my favorite guest of all time.

Questions asked:

Do you remember the “walk-up” song that the guy who broke the homerun record used when I was in school?
Was lack of resources at Nicholls as big of a problem as I thought it was when I was playing?
How much money did you make when you were coaching at Nicholls?
Did you recruit Matt Overman?
Are you conscious when you interact with players that they’re going to remember a lot of what you say?
How are things going where you’re coaching right now?
What does Division IV mean?
Do you have some college prospects?
Was Loyola University your first head coaching job?
Is that [being a head baseball coach] something you always wanted to do?
Were you excited to get that first head coaching job?
So you had planned to do broadcast journalism—you’re young—do you ever think you want to do that some time?
Did you realize how rampant steroid use was when I played?
Do you think Mainieri (LSU Baseball Head Coach) is on the hot seat?
Are you required to teach since you’re at a high school now?
Have you ever been ‘thrown out’ of a game?
Did you notice a difference between being an assistant coach when you lost and being a head coach when you lost?
What year did you start to have trouble with your health?
In what ways do you see things differently now than you did before?
How did your relationship with God change as a result of that [colon cancer diagnosis]?
Anything else we should be looking out for aside from monitoring irregular pains or if we feel like we can’t go enough to the bathroom
Is colon cancer similar in nature to diverticulitis?
Are you a Cubs fan?
Is coaching college baseball much more time-consuming than coaching high school [baseball]?
Is stating the obvious to kids something you’re conscience of?

Fun questions:

Social media – net positive or net negative for society?
Do you have a favorite Major League ballpark?
Best high school ballpark you’ve been to?
Do you have a favorite baseball-related website?
You’re managing Game 7 in the Big Leagues. You must give the ball to one pitcher who’s active right now (can’t be Nolan Ryan). Who are you going with?
It’s bottom of the 9^th , Jose Altuve on first, you’re down on one run. Nobody out. Bregman’s at the plate. Let’s say Brantley is on deck, followed by their first baseman Gurriel, Are you asking Bregman to bunt in that situation?
Two-week vacation anywhere in the world, where are you going?
Best purchase you’ve ever made under $100?
Who is the person you look up to the most in baseball?

Listen here:

“…And I remember ringin’ the bell. Started a new job. And you know, we never once thought it was going to be anything but a successful mission. And through . . . my family and my friends, we were able to get that done. And we did kick cancer’s ass.” – Gee Cassard, Head Baseball Coach, Ascension Catholic High School

Connect with Coach Gee:

On Twitter: @GCassard15

Leadership Lessons, Coaching College Baseball & Kicking Cancer’s A$$ with Gee Cassard

Other topics discussed:

Questions asked:

Fun questions:

Listen here:

Connect with Coach Gee:

Other topics discussed:

Questions asked:

Fun questions:

Listen here:

Connect with Coach Gee:

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