One thing greater than Jim Gilligan’s 1,345 victories and 10 conference championships is his class.

Sure, he was just as blank-faced as his Lamar baseball players when Ryan Erickson batted into a season-ending 1-3 groundout, but at 69, he’s been through that emotion often.

All he could do was emerge from the dugout to shake the Stephen F. Austin coaches’ hands near home plate. He had better; SFA coach Johnny Cardenas presented him with a No. 29 jersey before a game last weekend … that was emblazoned with the words “Jacks,” of course.

Still, that warrants the hashtag: #Respect. As if Gilligan’s career didn’t already.

If Gilligan was emotional about coaching his final game, he didn’t show it during his … deep breath here … final postgame interview wearing No. 29 in red. He didn’t feel sorry for himself, either. Or his 13 seniors.

“I feel great for them,” Gilligan said. “Guys like Hibbs and McKinley that improved so much, and Travis Moore, and Enrique [Oquendo] … you know, he kind of got off track, but he started coming back in the end. I wish I had another week with this group because there were some guys starting to get the bit in their teeth and coming on.”
Another week would have been fun, you know, at College Station, Baton Rouge or wherever. Heck, I’d have taken Oxford since granny is still in Memphis.

Gilligan, however, isn’t worried. He’s been there, done that.

Well, all but the College World Series.

Omaha might not have called for Gilligan, but Beaumont did. The New Yorker was a pitcher at Lamar in the late 1960s and had a short stint in the minor leagues before beginning his coaching career.

“The community I live in, they’ve supported me the entire time I’ve been here,” he said. “We’ve had different administrations and I’ve had different types of support, but the community has always been here. I’ll be eternally grateful to that town. That’s why I’m not going to leave it. It’s my home.”

Gilligan’s class persona shaped his ability to make great coaching moves on and off the field. Although the end result drew some criticism, he decided to not become involved in Lamar’s selection for the next head coach.

The successor, Will Davis, rewarded Gilligan and the Cardinals with two victories. Gilligan let the LSU graduate and assistant “call the game” against his alma mater. That resulted in a come-from-behind 12-11 victory before a season-high 3,563 fans on Feb. 24.

Smart move. Class move.

Davis acted as head coach the next game against North Dakota State for an ill Gilligan and won that one 7-6 on Bryndan Arredondo’s solo bomb.

It just goes to show, Gilligan not only trusted Davis to make good calls. He trusted Lamar to make one first.

Now, Gilligan retires seemingly at peace with the program’s direction.

“I go from coach to No. 1 fan, now,” he said Thursday. “I’m invested. This is my baby. I played here, you know? I’ve been coaching at Lamar in six decades and played in one of those decades while I coached. I feel like I have as much [to do] with this program as any. I’ll be following with great interest and helping the best way I can.”

Whether he agrees with it or not, the Southland Conference regular-season trophy now bears his name, although Sam Houston State won it. Gilligan could have been so honored just for his class.

“You never feel like you deserve something like that, and I certainly don’t,” he said. “But I’m not going to let them [Southland front office] change their mind on it. I’ll make them stick to it.”

Maybe just a wee bit of pride — although well deserved — exuding from such a selfless, giving man.

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I.C. Murrell can be reached at 721-2435 or ic.murrell@panews.com. On Twitter: @ICMurrellPANews