In 2012, Ferchen enters his 17th season as the head coach of the Red Dragon baseball program and his 31st overall in collegiate baseball. Over the last 16 years, he has guided Oneonta State baseball to an overall record of 400-240-4, 13 SUNYAC and 11 ECAC tournament appearances. Ferchen has been named SUNYAC Coach of the Year twice (2002 and 2006).
During the past seven years, Ferchen has led the program to three, 30-win seasons. In 2005, the program won a school-record 32 wins while playing in the SUNYAC championship game. The Red Dragons followed in 2006 with 31 wins, which gave them back-to-back 30-win seasons for the first time ever. In 2010, the team finished 31-13 while qualifying for the NCAA tournament for the first time in the program's history.
During the 2011 season, Ferchen became the 19th Div. III head coach to reach 700 career victories. Entering the 2011 season, he was 10th all-time in Div. III in coaching victories. Ferchen currently has amassed an overall record of 715-497-17, which includes stints at Div. I Valparaiso and Div. III Hobart.
Before coming to Oneonta, Ferchen took over a Hobart program that had not had a winning season in ten years. During his eight-year tenure with the Statesmen, his program compiled a 168-120-5 record, won a conference championship, an ECAC championship and made one NCAA Tournament appearance. Ferchen's coaching success earned him Empire Athletic Association Coach of the Year honors in 1988 and 1994.
Before his tenure with Hobart, Ferchen spent six years as the head coach at his Alma Mater, Division I Valparaiso, and led the program to a 147-137-8 record including four winning seasons and two appearances in the Mid-Continent Conference Championships. He was Coach of the year in 1985 and 1987 for his efforts on the field.
A native of Niagara Falls, N.Y., Ferchen graduated from Valparaiso in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in physical education. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates organization before deciding to continue his education and earning a master's degree in arts and liberal studies from Valparaiso.
