After leading the Oregon State University baseball team to a national championship, coach Pat Casey could have parlayed his success into a new position at a bigger-name school.

Yet, after receiving a raise and an outpouring of support from Oregonians - from the governor on down - Casey has decided to stay at OSU rather than accept a job at Notre Dame.

His welcome decision offers two lessons about retaining high performers in Oregon, whether it's in sports, academics or industry: If you want excellence you have to pay for it; and sometimes you just have to show your appreciation for a job well done.