Dave Van Horn... on the Road to Omaha

What a blast we had interviewing Dave Van Horn this week. Arguably one of the most down-to-earth and engaging college coaches I have ever worked with. He's got his life in order, and certainly has the Diamond Hogs pointed in the right direction. Van Horn is one of the most well liked Hog coached when it comes to fans. They love his passion, his intensity, and most important, his drive for excellence. When he says, 'anything less than the CWS is a failure', fans appreciate that. Will he ever be Norm Debriyn, of course not. Who could be, 33 years and over 1,100 victories, it's incredible.
But Van Horn is a former Hog player and assistant coach, he bleeds Cardinal and White. When he left Nebraska in 2002, he broke a lot of hearts and angered many a Cornhusker. But this is the place he wanted to be, and now the 2007 campaign may very well be his greatest. This team is loaded with talent and veterans: from Danny Hamblin and Brian Walker (who both returned for their final season) providing experience, not to mention some great JUCO transfers, along with a nice mix of talented freshman, this group is nasty. Oh and by the way, they have ace Nick Schmidt on the mound: the best pitcher in the SEC, and really, the country for that matter.
Omaha never seemed so close: and this time, the Razorbacks have a chance to win there and possibly bring home a national title.