Mike Silva enters his fourth year as the associate head coach at Louisiana Tech after guiding the Bulldog pitching staff to eight shutouts during the 2021 season.
LA Tech tied for third in the nation and first in the C-USA with eight shutouts this past season. Tech posted shutouts against McNeese State, No. 1 Arkansas, Tulane (twice), Southern Miss, UAB, Rice and Middle Tennessee. The Bulldog pitching staff ranked fourth in the C-USA in ERA (5.01), fourth in batters struck out (454), third in saves (15) and first in runners picked off (13).
Jonathan Fincher, a First Team All-Conference USA honoree, and Jarret Whorff combined to tally three C-USA Pitcher of the Week awards under Silva’s tutelage. Whorff also earned National Player of the Week honors from Collegiate Baseball following his shutout of No. 1 Arkansas on March 14.
In 2020, the Bulldogs also led Conference USA in ERA (3.03), WHIP (1.15), and Hits per 9 innings (6.78). Tech posted shutouts against Maine, ULL, Troy, and Southeastern Louisiana during the season, including a CGSO from Jarret Whorff.
During Silva's inaugural season in Ruston the Bulldogs led C-USA in strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.58 K/BB) and walked the second-fewest batters per nine innings (3.30 BB/9). LA Tech also placed third in the conference in strikeouts per nine innings (8.5 K/9) and second in ERA.
Before coming to LA Tech, Silva served as the pitching coach at Little Rock for two seasons. He guided the Little Rock pitching staff to the fifth-lowest ERA in the Sun Belt in 2018. The Trojans lowered their team ERA in each of Silva’s two seasons in Little Rock. In the season before Silva came to Ruston, Little Rock pitchers averaged 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings under Silva’s tutelage – second best in the Sun Belt.
In taking over the reins of the Bulldog pitchers, Silva inherited one of the deepest and most experienced staffs not only in Conference USA, but across the nation. In 2018, the Bulldogs led the league and ranked 25th nationally with a 3.48 team ERA.
“Obviously we felt this hire was of the utmost importance with the majority of our innings and workload returning for the 2019 season,” Burroughs added. “We wanted to do what’s in the best interest of our players and of course further the direction and future of the program. We tried to get out in front of the situation and show our program’s stability and the forward direction we continue to move. We were absolutely flattered with the amount of interest this position generated. I think that speaks volumes about Louisiana Tech, Ruston and the leadership at our University specifically our President, Dr. Les Guice and Athletic Director, Tommy McClelland.”
In 2017, Silva coached his pitching staff to a program-record 463 strikeouts.
Little Rock's pitchers recorded 8.5 strikeouts per nine innings — ranking third in the Sun Belt and 47th nationally. They also allowed the third-fewest hits in the league at 8.83 per nine innings.
Silva also brings experience at the professional level, as he worked as an area scout for the San Diego Padres in 2016, scouting talent in Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and North' Dakota.
Prior to his time as a scout, Silva was an assistant coach at Texas State from 2013-15. Under his guidance, the Bobcats reached the conference tournament in all three seasons and saw six players selected in the MLB Draft.
Prior to joining the Bobcats, Silva was the head coach at Galveston College where he led the team to its first regional tournament in five years and first season above .500 in the past 13 years. His team ranked as high as 11th in the nation during the campaign.
Before Galveston, Silva was the head coach at Clarendon College for three seasons. During his three-year stint at Clarendon, Silva’s teams earned 111 victories, making him the winningest coach in program history. In 2010, the team picked up the second-highest ranking in program history at No. 15 while Silva also formed the school’s second All-American and conference player of the year.
Prior to becoming head coach at Clarendon, Silva served two stints there as an assistant coach. In 2008, the team earned 40 wins and proceeded to the regional championship during his second time with the program. Silva initially joined the team as an assistant from 2003-05.
Between stints at Clarendon, Silva spent the 2006 season as an assistant at Bethany College where the team won 40 games and attained a No. 18 ranking in the NAIA national poll.
Before his days a coach began, Silva was a catcher at Northwestern Oklahoma State University from 2001-03. He helped lead the team to three straight regional tournaments, a 49-win season in 2001 and the highest national ranking in program history at No. 11. Silva hit .426 in 2001, finishing 19th in the nation. Before making the move to coaching, Silva played two seasons of independent baseball.
“One of the things I most admire about Mike is that he has worked his tail off to get to this position,” Burroughs added. “He has earned everything in his career. I could have searched every corner of the earth and couldn’t have found a better match for our culture at Louisiana Tech. This man is a worker, blue collar and tenacious in his approach to his craft. I absolutely can’t wait for him to get in the trenches with our guys and watch them grow under his tutelage. We always say ‘you get who you are’ and trust me, this is the case with Coach Silva and he wants to be at Louisiana Tech.”
Silva, a native of Hull, Mass., earned his bachelor’s degree in leadership at Bellevue University in Bellevue, Nebraska, before receiving his master’s degree in education at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. He is married to the former Reagan Page and has a son, Dylan.
