When Robert Morris began searching for a coach to rebuild the Eagles Baseball program, it turned out they had the man they wanted already on the coaching staff. RMU jumped at the chance to put former Chicago White Sox farmhand Mike Kashirsky in charge of the Eagle nine. Their confidence was confirmed when Kashirsky led the Eagles to the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Tournament Championship in 2010, earning the Eagles their first-ever invitation to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. RMU won their opening round game before bowing to eventual national champion, Cumberland University (KY).
In addition to his professional and collegiate playing experience, the new Eagle headman has eight years of coaching behind him, including five seasons in the professional ranks.
In 2008, he took over as the manager of the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League, leading them to 42-15 record over the last two months of the season and the team's second consecutive league title.
Kashirsky was an assistant coach for Robert Morris in 2008 after two years at the helm of the Moraine Valley Community College program. During his tenure the Cyclones were 69-40 and were 2007 Region 4 Sauk Valley sectional champions. That feat earned him honors as the 2007 Skyway Conference Newcomer Coach of the Year and the Chicago Pitch and Hit Division 2 Junior College Coach of the Year.
Prior to his years at MVCC, Kashirsky was an assistant coach at his alma mater, NCAA Division II Saint Joseph's College of Indiana. As a player for the Pumas, he earned Academic All-American honors and led his team to two appearances in the College World Series.
He also has four seasons of coaching experience with the Frontier League Windy City Thunderbolts. During the Thunderbolts' 2007 Frontier League championship season, he served as bench coach and was named to both the 2006 and 2007 Northern Division All-Star game coaching staff.
The highlight of his professional playing career would have to be his spring-training stints with the Chicago White Sox during the 1999 and 2000 seasons. His other stops in organized baseball included seasons with the Cook County Cheetahs and the Green Bay Billies. Kashirsky was the Northeastern League Rookie of the Year for the Billies. He also had the unusual experience of playing professional baseball in Italy, suiting up in the Italian Baseball League for the Marina Braves.
Upon his return from playing in Italy, he took over the reins of the Upper Deck Cougars 18-and-under team, winning the 2002 National Championship and winning Chicago Pitch and Hit Amateur Coach of the Year honors. he was recently inducted in the program's Hall of Fame.
"We are excited by the wide array of experiences Kash brings to our program," said AD Smith Eggert. "He will not only be a great coach but a great ambassador for Robert Morris.
Coach Kashirsky promises a team dedicated to "doing everything--on and off the field--the right way. We're going to get the job done in the classroom and every player is going to know what we expect of him."
He has assembled a strong staff of assistants, all with extensive college coaching experience, many with professional careers behind them as well, including former Chicago White Sox standout centerfielder John Cangelosi.
"We've got a great team of coaches in place," says Coach Kashirsky. "Our guys will have the benefit of the best we can give them."