Western Carolina University

An outstanding eight-year head coaching tenure at Western Carolina lifted Raleigh into the national spotlight and set the stage for his introduction as Tennessee's 23rd all-time head coach. During his eight seasons in Cullowhee, N.C., Raleigh's clubs won two regular-season Southern Conference championships, one Southern Conference tournament title, turned in five top-three league finishes and made two NCAA Regional appearances - reaching the regional final both times. He also was named the 2002 and 2007 Southern Conference Coach of the Year.

In 2006, Raleigh's club was the only team in the nation to record non-conference road wins over a pair of College World Series teams, winning at both Clemson and Georgia.

And his 2007 Southern Conference championship squad posted a winning record against teams in the top 35 of the RPI. Upon being awarded a rare mid-major at-large bid to the field of 64 for the 2007 NCAA tournament, Western Carolina - which worked itself into a top 40 national RPI slot - was touted by ESPN college baseball analyst Kyle Peterson as featuring an "SEC-style offense."