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Coach Daniel Smiley returns to Sycamore Baseball program





Daniel Smiley (left) will be reunited with his friend and Sycamore head coach Matt Carrigan this season. SUBMITTED

Daniel Smiley (left) will be reunited with his friend and Sycamore head coach Matt Carrigan this season. SUBMITTED

A familiar face will be returning to the Sycamore War Eagles baseball program this upcoming season. Former head coach Daniel Smiley will be back in the dugout this season along with his friend, former assistant coach, and current head coach Matt Carrigan.

“I am very excited about the opportunity to come back and join Coach Carrigan’s staff,” Smiley said. “It’s kind of been our plan all along if it played out that way. I needed to get established at my new career at Farm Bureau as an insurance agent before I could really even think about coming back. Plus, I wanted to give him (Carrigan) some time to put his own stamp on the program, and he has. This is Matt’s team and I’m just happy to be able to come back to be a part of that.”

Smiley didn’t get too far away from the game as he still coached his son on his baseball team and was voted as the commissioner of the Pleasant View Athletic Association in August of 2019. A big part of Smiley’s career change was wanting to be around his family and he’s gotten the chance to do that. Now, with his son just three years away from high school, Smiley can’t wait for the chance to coach his son again.

Daniel Smiley has been coaching his son and never got too far away from the game during his absence from Sycamore.SUBMITTED

Daniel Smiley has been coaching his son and never got too far away from the game during his absence from Sycamore.SUBMITTED

With Smiley being the assistant and Carrigan as the head coach, roles have reversed since the last time these two have coached together. But Smiley says they’re great friends and neither of them will let egos get in the way.

“Matt and I have discussed roles and things like that, but we work so well together on the field that we will probably get back to how it was a few years ago,” Smiley said. “The only difference is now, he’s the head coach and I’m the assistant. We won’t let anything get in the way of getting back after it like we used to. We see the game very similarly and we communicate on the field without even talking when we’re on the field. Matt and I have been best friends since 2008. I’ve probably spent more time with him than my own family over the years. We work well together and we’ve been through a lot together. He has a great staff already intact and I just hope to come back and add to that.”

Daniel Smiley is excited for his chance to return to Sycamore.SUBMITTED

Daniel Smiley is excited for his chance to return to Sycamore.SUBMITTED

Smiley hopes he’s learned a few things during his absence from Sycamore. He’s also hoping he can bring all of that along with everything he’s always down as a coach. Smiley never really quit coaching and he’s gained quite a bit of experience. He’s hoping that bringing that to Sycamore will be the final piece of the puzzle to get the War Eagles where they want to go.

“If you stop learning, then you’ve peaked,” Smiley said. “I hope I haven’t peaked as a coach. I just want to come in here and add to an already great staff and move forward and win some ball games.”

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