By: Matteen Zibanejadrad
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State Director of Athletics Milton Overton announced KSU Hall of Famer Ryan Coe as head baseball coach Friday.
"It's a pleasure to welcome home a long-standing member of our KSU family, Ryan Coe, to take the helm of our baseball program," said Overton. "With his reputation as a former student-athlete and coach here, Coach Coe demonstrates the values and experience to carry out our mission to 'build champions in the classroom, on the field, in the community and in life with integrity and excellence.' His drive, his eye for recruiting elite talent, and his familiarity with our program will be pivotal in ushering in new heights for years to come."
The Owls welcome Coe back after nearly 12 years as a scout for the Texas Rangers, joining the MLB team following a 15-year spell as a player and coach at KSU under newly-retired head coach Mike Sansing.
"Just thinking about Kennesaw State brings back so many good memories," said Coe. "I hate to leave the Rangers. I really enjoyed that part of my career, but I care too much about the KSU baseball program not to pursue the head coaching job. I want to continue the amazing work that Mike Sansing has done, taking the program further and further every year and it's my goal to continue that upward trend."
Coe first stepped foot on the Kennesaw State campus in 1994, transferring from Tennessee's Cleveland State Community College where he was a second-team All-American.
The catcher made an impact as soon as he slotted into the lineup, hitting 18 home runs and 79 RBIs with a .369 batting average. At the 1994 NAIA Districts in Columbus, Ga., the slugger from East Ridge, Tenn. walked off a win for Kennesaw State College with a homer in the bottom of the ninth against defending district champions Brewton-Parker; the district win would go down in the history books as KSU's first title ever.
Coe continued his reputation as a top-notch batter throughout the NAIA postseason, earning a selection into the All-Tournament team as the Owls became the 1994 NAIA Baseball National Champions. For his efforts, Coe was named Kennesaw State's Athlete-of-the-Year.
Despite having a 1994 to remember, Coe managed to one-up himself in 1995. Coe hit for a .455 batting average in the squad's inaugural year in the NCAA's Division-II, a rate which lives on as the best batting average in KSU's history. Winning the 1995 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Year, Coe continues to hold the Peach Belt records for career slugging percentage with .732 and consecutive games with a home run with seven. He also holds Kennesaw State's all-time career records in batting average (.411) and slugging percentage, as well as the single-season record for on-base percentage (.545).
His long list of accolades includes the rare distinction of earning All-American honors at three different levels: junior college in 1993, NAIA in 1994 and NCAA Division II in 1995.
The standout's stunning collegiate career led to his selection by the Houston Astros in the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft. He spent three years with the organization, earning a selection as a 1996 Midwest League All-Star in that time.
Coe would return to Kennesaw State in Sept. 1997 as an assistant coach under Sansing. In his role, Coe coordinated recruitment, developed catchers and hitters, developed practice plans and ran the in-game offense.
During his time as a coach, Coe was inducted with pitcher John Kelly as KSU baseball's first inductees into the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004. Also inducted that year was Coe's wife, former Owls softball standout Cara Dornstauder.
Coe would serve as an assistant coach for Kennesaw State until Nov. 2009, when he was offered a position in the Texas Rangers organization. He would serve as the East Coast crosschecker for the Arlington, Texas outfit, identifying and evaluating prospects from the East Coast and Canada for the MLB draft.
What others are saying about Ryan Coe…
"I am ecstatic for Ryan, Cara and his daughters. He fits all the criteria to be a great head coach for Kennesaw State: an All-American, a National Championship winner, a former coach here. I'm thrilled that Kennesaw State has chosen someone who has represented and upheld the KSU name extremely well for over a decade. His success as a player, his time spent as a coach and his presence around the highest level of player development in the sport will show the fans why I'm so excited for him to get going." – Mike Sansing, former Kennesaw State baseball coach
"Throughout my 29 years working in collegiate baseball, I have had the great opportunity to meet many outstanding baseball minds - but few as intelligent, dedicated and passionate as Ryan Coe. Ryan is someone who understands how to identify talent, build relationships with players, and develop a sustainable culture. I have no doubt he will lead Kennesaw State to big things for years to come." – Kevin O'Sullivan, head coach of University of Florida baseball
"I've had the opportunity to work with Ryan Coe for over a decade. Kennesaw State got a great one! He is driven, conscientious, value-oriented and ultra-competitive. He will put together a team with similar values and ethics, who love to play, love to win, and are willing to put the necessary work in. Equally important, parents will feel good about trusting him with the continued development of their sons. The Rangers are going to miss him, and wish Ryan and his family all the best." – Jon Daniels, President of Baseball Operations, Texas Rangers
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