Earlier this month, Mercer baseball Head Coach Craig Gibson reached a remarkable 750-win total as skipper for the Bears.
Reflecting on his accomplishment, Gibson said his first thought was how rare it was and how blessed he felt.
"Obviously it's a special accomplishment," he said. "I think the toughest thing in any profession is consistency, and it shows the ability to identify, evaluate and develop young people.”
“I’ve been very fortunate to have really good coaches with me and that are with me now and that have played a big part in everything that we’ve done here," he added.
The veteran head coach has had an ideal season by most metrics so far, as the Bears are currently 25-12 and have had their best start in 155 years of existence at Mercer University, according to Gibson.
Most people and coaches would be satisfied, but for Gibson, perfection is the only satisfaction.
"Honestly, we would like to be 33-0,” he said. “We want to try to win every game.”
He is now Mercer's longest-tenured head coach after first taking the job in 2004. Over those 22 years, he has seen numerous changes in the program and Macon as a whole, including a new stadium, baseball complex and a five-to-six-million dollar performance center.
The performance center includes new equipment that has given the program an upper-hand this season. One of the machines, called an iPitch, can mimic challenging pitches for batters to practice against, according to reporting from The Macon Melody.
“Winning brings about change,” said Gibson. “People want to be a part of winners.”
The skipper believes that Mercer University is at one of the highest points he has seen since he has been here, and he credits the school's athletic recruitment as well as its strong academics.
"The one thing that stayed constant is the outstanding degree that we offer. So, you know, we've always recruited outstanding, high-level student athletes," he said.
Gibson is a Macon native and a proud Double Bear. His entire family is also embedded with Mercer and Macon, including his wife and two brothers.
“I think Macon has been very supportive of the university, and I think the university has been great for Macon," he said.
His connections with the city as a whole go back deep into its history.
"David Carter was mayor of Macon, and him and my father served in the military together and taught school at Lanier. So I have a long history here in Macon," he said, referencing Sidney Lanier High School, a former all-boys high school that was located on Forsyth Street.
"Of course, I thought Mayor Reichert before him did a great job. And so I think there's been some great governmental leaders and obviously what we've done on the university side with Dr. Godsey and Dr. Underwood, and now with Dr. Elkins, I think they've all played a part of making Mercer great as well as Macon great," he said.
He also mentioned how Macon Mayor Lester Miller, whose son played football at Mercer, has positively impacted the institution.
“I think he loves Mercer, and he always does what’s best for Macon as well as Mercer,” he said.
With strong ties to Mercer, Gibson has seen the school bring his family together. He calls the union a “point of pride” and a “rallying point.”
Gibson credits his mother’s love for Mercer with his and his brothers' decision to attend the college.
“She didn’t go to Mercer, but she always thought it was a great school,” Gibson said, adding his mother was the “driving point” of his attending Mercer.
Today, Gibson enjoys most parts of coaching the baseball team, but he said he is particularly fond of conversing with the players because it motivates him to keep coaching. Their transition from high school recruits to graduating with a degree, he said, "is a big part of my life" that helps "keep you young."
"Every day is different, but overall it's just a relationship with the guys and the young people and that's why I've continued to do it so long," he said.
Coaching baseball isn’t just about wins and losses for Gibson; it’s about the life lessons learned in the process.
“I try not to get too high with the highs or too low with the lows,” he said. "I mean there's a lot of failure in sports, there's a lot of failure in life, but you have to have the ability to pick yourself up, get yourself going and you gotta have the ability to keep moving forward."
As he and the team enjoy the dog days of the season and approach another run at a Southern Conference title and NCAA tournament bid, Gibson remains level-headed. The man whose has coached at Mercer for longer than some of his players have been alive is as stoic – and successful – as ever.
"The ability to understand the process and enjoy the journey, don't get so caught up in the day to day," he said. "I think that's tough for young people sometimes, because I'll be honest, I've done it so long and I've seen it so much. I sort of know the outcome before it gets here."
