How does one become a professional handicapper? If having an intimate knowledge of how the games are played, Coach Fletcher certainly fits the bill.
Coach Fletcher was born into a coaching family. His father coached at the D1 level so you could say coaching was in his blood.
Fletcher was an outstanding player himself and made all state in baseball and football in high school. He went on to play baseball at Garrett Community College in Maryland where he was Offensive Player of the Year both seasons. He received an AA degree in Sociology while attending Garrett and later earned a dual masters at the University of South Alabama in Sports Medicine and Sports Administration. He now scoffs at the degrees stating he only did it to stay in school longer.
With 5 scholarship offers on the table, Fletcher chose Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida. At Flagler he made the All Regional team as a junior and senior and 3rd team All American his junior year.
Drafted out of high school and community college, Fletcher spent time in the Detroit Tiger camp. He hit a walk off homer against Roger McDowell when Roger was with the University of Texas.
Unfortunately, a torn MCL and ACL effectively ended his playing career so Coach Fletcher became Coach Fletcher. He began by scouting for three different teams and ran nine different US Showcase Baseball events for college and pro scouts. He also worked with Fred Feralla of the NYY as a Latin America baseball scout.
His coaching career included stops at DI, D2 and JUCO schools. He was head coach at Broward in Fort Lauderdale, one of the most respected JUCO programs in the nation. He also coached in North Carolina, Georgia and Texas. He recruited Joe Randa who played with the Royals and Pirates.
He continued to work national camps for USA Baseball and three different universities and showcases. Fletcher finally tired of the daily grind and constant travel and started his career as a professional handicapper in 1998. He has never looked back.
Coach Fletcher lives in Henderson, Nevada, and is a constant spectator at UNLV events as well as a rabid boxing fan. He attends most of the major sporting events held in the Las Vegas area and also maintains a home in Florida.
Using the skills he honed as a player, scout and a coach, Fletcher attacks handicapping in a unique way. He approaches the game as if he was an advance scout prepping for an upcoming series. He watches endless hours of tapes weekly to pick up on the nuances that only a scout or coach would notice. His outstanding record is proof positive that this method works for him.