Jan. 9, 2006

A pioneer in the sport of baseball, Ed Cheff is in his 29th year as the head baseball coach at Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho).  During his tenure,  Lewis-Clark State College has won 13 NAIA national titles. From 1982 through 1992, Cheff's Warriors played in 11 consecutive NAIA national championship games and won eight championships and his teams hold a part of more than 25 NAIA World Series records.

Sporting a career record of 1,407-381, Cheff has been named the Rawlings-NAIA Coach of the Year a record seven times. His peers, as well as professional scouts, consistently recognized Cheff's LCSC teams as being well prepared and aggressive. Approximately 146 of his former players have continued their careers, playing professionally at some level and 14 of those players have advanced to the big league.

After graduating from Lewis and Clark College (Ore.), Cheff began his coaching career as a high school football coach and English teacher, later moving on to Lower Columbia Community College (Wash.), where he coached baseball and was the school's affirmative action officer.

Coach Cheff has not only built successful collegiate baseball teams but has also worked to instill a sense of pride and strong work ethic in each player that has come through his program. The local community values the LCSC baseball program for its dedication to active involvement with local events, fundraisers, and a grade school mentoring program, which Ed established.

Away from LCSC's Harris Field, Cheff has coached several summers in the Alaska League with the Anchorage Bucs and Fairbanks Alaska Goldpanners. His Goldpanners won the National Baseball Congress Championship in 2002. In the summers of 1991 and 1994, he served as an assistant coach with the USA National Team.

Cheff was inducted Friday, January 6, 2006 at the ABCA Hall of Fame/Coach of the Year Banquet at the national convention in Chicago, IL.