By Mike Perrin

Jan Weisberg’s classroom at Birmingham-Southern College is a beautiful sight, especially in the springtime. While the results of his instruction can be measured by everyone watching, it also shows up in the real-world successes of his students.

Weisberg’s students show some of what they’ve learned from February through May at BSC’s Striplin Field and at ballparks across the South. Other, more important lessons provide a foundation for young men who go on to become successful business leaders, engineers, lawyers, physicians, coaches and teachers.

Weisberg has been the head baseball coach at BSC since summer 2006 and the architect of an NCAA Division III program that is recognized as one of the best in the country; one that was ranked No. 1 in the nation with two weeks left in the 2023 regular season. The Panthers carried a 29-4 record into the final stretch of Southern Athletic Association play.

On April 8, 2023, Weisberg won his 500th game at BSC in a 13-3 win at home over Oglethorpe University. His 21 wins in one season at Transylvania University meant his 500th career victory came on March 5, 2023, with a 3-1 win at home over Sewanee.

“This place changes lives, and so to reach 500 wins here is meaningful because of how much we’ve invested here,” Weisberg said. “I love what I do and where I am. But I’d never really thought much about a number like that. I’ve been focused on the here and now — not chasing something in the future.”

When Weisberg was hired as the 11th baseball coach in BSC history, replacing Brian Shoop – the College’s winningest coach, who led ‘Southern to an NAIA national title in 2001 – he was tasked with continuing the tradition of BSC baseball in a brand-new world. He inherited a program with no players. The entire baseball team had transferred after Southern moved from Division I to Division III.

The new crop of players came because they believed in the plan Weisberg presented to them.

“I talk about two things in recruiting,” Weisberg said. “One is on the baseball side. We have a long, storied tradition at Birmingham-Southern. Before I got here, there was all the success we had in NAIA and in Division I. I tell the players they are placeholders while they are here. All the great tradition and championships and level of excellence has been here before they arrived. Everybody who has worn your number and sat in your locker made this a special program. Our job is to be a steward of the program.

“The second thing is what this place is and what this College does. We talk about expectations and what’s been done for them. We talk about how they can be successful when they leave the Hilltop. This is a chance for them to take all the baseball experiences they have and all the life lessons they learn while being in this environment where this College does change lives.”

The coach’s first Southern squad finished 20-21 – his only losing record on the Hilltop – and he carries a .731 winning percentage at BSC into the final weeks of the 2023 season. His Panthers have won eight SAA championships in the past 10 seasons. In 2019, BSC finished as Division III World Series runner-up.

After the COVID-19 year shut down the 2020 season, the Panthers made it to the super regionals the past two seasons – one win away from the World Series in ’21 and two away in ’22.

As different as each of Weisberg’s teams are, they share the same goals. “We have a saying: Show up and dive in,” he said. “Show up, put yourself in the position you want to be in. At Birmingham-Southern, you know you’re going to get a good education. Dive in, invest everything you have and have the tenacity to make that vision a reality. It guides us every day and the action you take becomes intentional. It guides us to know what we want and to figure out how to make it happen; when to find help when you need it and knowing and finding the tenacity to make it happen on your own.

“I try to make it as black-and-white for my players as I can,” he added. “If you do certain things, the result you want can and most likely will occur. We’re instilling in them that very clear vision they want to happen in the classroom and on the field. We talk a lot about self-improvement. That’s why they are here for four years, to realize their potential as a player, as a student, and as a man.”

Weisberg is also learning lessons as an integral part of the BSC family. He has used what he learned from restarting the program and the pandemic shutdown to help his athletes stay focused on their educational and athletic careers during the recent uncertainty over the College’s finances.

“This situation is analogous to when we made the move to D3,” Weisberg said. “There were a lot of uncertainties about the future of baseball here back then. But we had to have a vision of not just returning and winning, but being as strong as ever and thriving in the future. It’s the same with the College. We’re not just surviving, but developing a long-term plan to make it an even better place.

“This is the place that these students chose to come and invest themselves in this College and all it can do for them,” he said. “This is what they love and where they want to be.”

Weisberg has remained committed to transparency with his players. “If you’re going to navigate through any uncertainty, any adversity, you have to look at the entirety of the situation,” he said. “As a leader, if I didn’t talk about the possible scenario we are facing, that uncertainty, fear, and anxiety would grow. There were two different routes it could go, so we have to have a plan to attack either situation.”

“My job was to paint the options that faced the College,” he added. “One, we make it through and get to the point where we can thrive, and their experience would not change. The other option was the College would not make it through and their lives would change. I reminded them that if that happened, we have a very solid plan in place.”

Two days before Weisberg’s milestone BSC victory, President Coleman and Board of Trustees Chairman Rev. Keith D. Thompson ’83 announced that the College will remain open. BSC has secured nearly $46 million in pledges from private donors toward a goal of $200 million in endowment and has sought bridge funding from public sources to allow time to finish that campaign. A $200 million endowment will support 20 percent of BSC annual operating budget, providing the stability needed for the long term.

On the baseball diamond, Weisberg and his staff will continue to provide stability for 41 Birmingham-Southern students who are showcasing excellence — and focusing their tenacity toward battling for a championship.