Campbell returns to coach Oran baseball team

Retired Oran baseball coach Mitch Wood, who remains the school's superintendant, had a question for his former all-state player Kody Campbell at a recent meeting.

"What have you got planned for the spring," Wood asked.

It turns out Campbell had been meaning to talk to Wood about the same topic.

Now, in addition to finishing his graduate degree at Southeast Missouri State, Campbell will be leading the Oran baseball team this spring.

He was hired by the Oran school board Wednesday to replace Paul Bucher, who resigned from the position less than two months after being selected as Wood's successor.

"We were very excited that he inquired about it and that we got a chance to hire to him," Wood said.

Campbell played in two final fours with Oran before continuing his career at Southeast Missouri State, where he started 58 games as a senior in 2012 and batted .280 with 40 RBIs.

He earned a bachelor's degree in sports management with a minor in business administration. He is working toward a master's degree in higher education athletic administration.

"I'd always kind of been interested in coaching," Campbell said. " I just didn't know how I would really get into it, and then the position came open there at Oran and I was interested in it because I'm from there and I've been around for a while. I called about it, and I interviewed, and they hired me."

Campbell gained coaching experience with the Missouri Lids Bulls program the last two summers.

"Obviously everyone who plays a sport and is interested in coaching, most of them would like to get back to where they played," Campbell said. "Fortunately enough, the opportunity came open at a good time for me and everything worked out in this situation. I'm thankful for the opportunity and hopefully will make the most of it."

Wood and Campbell have maintained a close relationship. Wood manages the Bulls program and Campbell often returned to Oran practices during his college career.

"He's had a huge impact not only on my baseball career but my life in general," Campbell said after Wood earned his first state championship in May.

"After he inquired about it, we set and talked a little bit about the situation," Wood said. "He met with our principal and athletic director and sat down and talked to them about the job. We all met, and we just felt like it was a really good direction for our program at this time."

Wood said it would be difficult to find a replacement for Bucher after the odd, and inconvenient, timing of his resignation, so he was happy when Campbell showed interest in the position.

"Like I said, we're happy to have him, and at this point be able to get someone with his knowledge and his experience, we're very pleased," Wood said.

Wood said hiring someone with ties to the Oran program wasn't a priority, but it is a bonus.

"It's awesome," Campbell said about returning to his alma mater. "Like I said, everybody who plays and wants to get into coaching obviously, I think, dreams about going back to where they're from, and, if there's not a program and a history and a tradition already established, kind of building one. Well, obviously there's a great tradition at Oran, especially in baseball. Hopefully I can build on that and keep the tradition alive."