BTN.com staff, June 15, 2015

Northwestern Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips announced Sunday that Spencer Allen will take the reigns as the 26th head coach of the Wildcats baseball program.

?To be named the head baseball coach and join the Northwestern University family is a tremendous honor and opportunity,? said Allen. ?The combination of a highly regarded athletic department and a prestigious academic institution was very appealing to me. My family and I are extremely excited for this new opportunity at Northwestern.

?Jim Phillips and the Northwestern staff devoted a great deal of his time to this search,? said Allen. ?Their passion and dedication illustrated the level of commitment that the entire athletic department has for the future of Wildcats baseball.

?Our goal will be to improve each day, both on and off the field. My staff and I will work together to make this a world-class experience for the student-athletes,? said Allen. ?I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the current and future Wildcats, and to connect with our dedicated alums and supporters, as we strive to win championships at Northwestern.?

Allen comes to Northwestern after serving as an assistant coach at Illinois in 2015. He helped the Fighting Illini set the school record with 50 wins and win the first NCAA Regional in program history. Illinois won its 30th Big Ten championship this spring, and it earned the No. 6 overall seed for the 2015 NCAA Baseball Championship, marking only the second time that a Big Ten program earned a national seed.

Under Allen?s tutelage, the Illini ranked near the top of the Big Ten in numerous offensive categories, leading the league in hits, runs, RBIs, total bases, home runs and slugging percentage in 2015. The team won a school-record 27 consecutive games between March 30-May 20, falling only seven games shy of matching the NCAA record of 34.

?We are incredibly thrilled to be able to welcome Spencer Allen, his wife Jessica and their daughter Jada, to the Northwestern family,? said Phillips. ?His tremendous talent and leadership have been shining examples in collegiate athletics and we are excited that he is bringing those gifts to our student-athletes and this community. Whether it is in the classroom, the community or on the field, Spencer has truly been successful at every step of his journey, and to that end we are confident that he is the right man to lead our baseball program into the future."

Read full NUSports.com release.