Justin holmes, Head Coach
When it came to selecting the next person to direct the Tennessee Tech baseball program into the future and build upon the most successful season in Ohio Valley Conference history, Tech Director of Athletics Mark Wilson didn't have to search long or far.
The perfect fit for the job was there all along.
On Thursday morning, Wilson selected Golden Eagle assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Justin Holmes as the 14th head baseball coach in school history, placing the four-year Tech veteran in charge of a program already flowing with his influence throughout it.
"First and foremost, I need to thank my wife," Holmes said. "I know that may be a little cliché, but behind every strong man, there is always a strong wife. I love my wife to death and she has made sacrifices so our family could be in this position.
"But what a tremendous dream come true. This is why you get into this business. You want to have the opportunity to lead a program. I'm so proud of this place. It's my home. I've seen these guys grow up, and I think that's the part I'm most excited about. I get to continue this journey and this adventure with the guys in this locker room. They're a pleasure to come to work with every day and I'm just excited for that."
Holmes' work with the players – both bringing them into the program and developing them once there – has been evident, as an Ohio Valley Conference-record eight Golden Eagles were selected during the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft, with one more signing as a free agent.
"It's a natural fit," Wilson said. "Over the past four seasons, Tennessee Tech baseball has enjoyed one of its most successful stretches in program history and he played a pivotal role in making that happen. Justin is passionate about not only baseball, but also about the student-athletes in our program and their personal, educational and professional development. We are excited to see the continued development of Tech baseball under his watch."
Tech has put together its best four-year stretch in program history since Holmes joined the coaching staff, accumulating 151 victories – including 83 in OVC play – the most among league members during the span. The Golden Eagles also claimed back-to-back OVC regular season titles the past two seasons.
"Early on when you want to be a head coach, you want it to happen now," Holmes explained. "God has a plan, but sometimes you're sitting there like 'man, what is going on,' but you keep grinding. The past few years, I just quit worrying about it and concentrated on my work. I tried to lose myself in what my job was at that moment."
The 2018 campaign was particularly easy to lose himself in the job and the moment, as the Golden Eagles burst onto the national scene with the nation's longest winning streak of 28 games. The streak led to the team's first-ever, consensus national ranking and continued the rest of the way.
"It's funny, when you're in the moment and taking care of business, then the dream can come true," Holmes expressed. "I had to learn that lesson, that you'll be taken care of if you do good work. That really put me at peace as far as making this step, which has been a goal I've always had. I'm truly honored. There are guys in this business that have done a heckuva job much longer than I have, and they haven't had an opportunity like I do now. That's not lost on me. I'm very thankful to the University and (Tech president) Dr. (Philip) Oldham, to Mark and the administration, to (Tech predecessor) Coach (Matt) Bragga, to the players and to any and all people that have supported me throughout this process. I don't take it lightly."
Tech captured the OVC's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and first-ever appearance in a Super Regional, taking home the Oxford Regional title after defeating No. 2-ranked Ole Miss twice on its home field in one magical day. The Golden Eagles finished the year with a league-record 53 wins, prompting Rice University to tab former Tech head coach Bragga as its new lead man and creating an opportunity.
"The tradition speaks for itself," Holmes said. "You can read about it. That's what these guys are striving for; to create something that is going to outlast them, that is not necessarily going to benefit them, but the people that come after them. The tradition of this program is one of winning. It goes back many decades, and during Coach Bragga's tenure, it's been the most successful stretch in the history of the program."
But the highest level of success experienced by an OVC program doesn't mean there's not room to grow more.
"So, what are my expectations?" Holmes asked, with his answer ready to fire. "My expectations are to be even more successful. It's very difficult for me to think any other way. I will never limit what these guys think they can do. Whatever they want to do, whatever their goals are, it's my job to help them reach those goals. I think there are guys in this locker room that have lofty goals. They believe they can do anything and I certainly would never step in and put my expectations lower than theirs.
"Honestly, I expect to remain competitive at a national level and continue to be a force in the OVC. But if you want to know, you really need to talk to these guys. It can be your idea all you want, but unless it's their idea, it's not going to work. And I think that's what we're blessed with. We're blessed with a program and a culture of people who believe they can do whatever they want to do. We're just going to go about our business, compete and try to achieve that.
An assistant at Mercer University from 2010-2013, Holmes served as both the hitting coach and first base coach to the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference championship-winning squad. The Bears earned a 43-18 record on their way to their first-ever regular-season championship and NCAA Tournament berth. The team also found itself ranked for the first time in program history.
During his tenure at Mercer, Holmes helped develop and coach a First-Team All-American, three Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans, two Capital One Academic All-Americans, three ABCA/Rawlings All-South Team members, the 2013 A-Sun Player of the Year, the 2012 A-Sun Freshman of the Year the A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 10 All-Atlantic Sun selections and three players who went to play professional ball. He also helped coordinate a defense that finished first in the NCAA in fielding percentage in 2013.
Mercer won 121 games during his three seasons as a member of the coaching staff, finishing in the top 100 in RPI as well.
Prior to working at Mercer, Holmes served as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, from 2007-2010. He served as the first base coach while preparing and conducting practice sessions devoted to hitter development, base running and infield defense on a daily basis.
In 2008, he was part of the coaching staff that won the 2008 SEC Championships and finished second at the College World Series. Holmes coached and developed two All-Americans, the 2008 SEC Player of the Year, two All-SEC First Team selections from the infield and a Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove winner. He saw six former UGA players move on to professional baseball in his time as coach and helped develop a defense that led the SEC in fielding percentage in 2008.
"The journey has been incredible and it's been fun," Holmes said reflecting on his path to this point. "I've met some incredible people. I've had some great players. I've had some great mentors. My job is now to take all of that and turn it into a successful head coaching career. I'll lean on great mentors and my players because that's what it's all about. I'm here to take care of them and to take care of this program that belongs to the alumni. I know how hard that is going to be to do, but I'm ready for that challenge. It's just an absolute pleasure to be here."
After playing one season at the University of South Florida, Holmes transferred to and played three seasons at the University of Georgia, starting at shortstop from 2002-2004. The captain and co-MVP of the 2004 SEC Championship team, Georgia finished third in the College World Series and finished the season with a 45-23 record. He earned an All-SEC Second Team selection that year, as well as All-Regional and Super Regional honors while batting a team-best .332 with eight home runs and 56 RBI. He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in fielding percentage for a shortstop and as a two-time Scholar Athlete Honor Roll recipient.
The 26th round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2004, Holmes played in the Indians organization for two years, spending time in Burlington, N.C. in the Appalachian League and Eastlake, Ohio for Lake County in the South Atlantic League. He also played for the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of the Frontier League where he was a two-time All-Star selection and finished as the franchise's all-time hits leader.
A graduate of UGA in 2005, Holmes earned his bachelor's degree in classical culture. He is married to the former Elizabeth Newsome of Washington, Ga., a 2008 graduate of the UGA veterinary school and member of Georgia's 2003 and 2004 national championship equestrian teams. The couple lives in Cookeville with their son, Rider and daughter, Vera.
"The Lord has blessed me and my family," Holmes said. "We have a responsibility. We know what we're undertaking, the staff here and myself, and we intend on doing a very good job."
The perfect fit for the job was there all along.
On Thursday morning, Wilson selected Golden Eagle assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Justin Holmes as the 14th head baseball coach in school history, placing the four-year Tech veteran in charge of a program already flowing with his influence throughout it.
"First and foremost, I need to thank my wife," Holmes said. "I know that may be a little cliché, but behind every strong man, there is always a strong wife. I love my wife to death and she has made sacrifices so our family could be in this position.
"But what a tremendous dream come true. This is why you get into this business. You want to have the opportunity to lead a program. I'm so proud of this place. It's my home. I've seen these guys grow up, and I think that's the part I'm most excited about. I get to continue this journey and this adventure with the guys in this locker room. They're a pleasure to come to work with every day and I'm just excited for that."
Holmes' work with the players – both bringing them into the program and developing them once there – has been evident, as an Ohio Valley Conference-record eight Golden Eagles were selected during the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft, with one more signing as a free agent.
"It's a natural fit," Wilson said. "Over the past four seasons, Tennessee Tech baseball has enjoyed one of its most successful stretches in program history and he played a pivotal role in making that happen. Justin is passionate about not only baseball, but also about the student-athletes in our program and their personal, educational and professional development. We are excited to see the continued development of Tech baseball under his watch."
Tech has put together its best four-year stretch in program history since Holmes joined the coaching staff, accumulating 151 victories – including 83 in OVC play – the most among league members during the span. The Golden Eagles also claimed back-to-back OVC regular season titles the past two seasons.
"Early on when you want to be a head coach, you want it to happen now," Holmes explained. "God has a plan, but sometimes you're sitting there like 'man, what is going on,' but you keep grinding. The past few years, I just quit worrying about it and concentrated on my work. I tried to lose myself in what my job was at that moment."
The 2018 campaign was particularly easy to lose himself in the job and the moment, as the Golden Eagles burst onto the national scene with the nation's longest winning streak of 28 games. The streak led to the team's first-ever, consensus national ranking and continued the rest of the way.
"It's funny, when you're in the moment and taking care of business, then the dream can come true," Holmes expressed. "I had to learn that lesson, that you'll be taken care of if you do good work. That really put me at peace as far as making this step, which has been a goal I've always had. I'm truly honored. There are guys in this business that have done a heckuva job much longer than I have, and they haven't had an opportunity like I do now. That's not lost on me. I'm very thankful to the University and (Tech president) Dr. (Philip) Oldham, to Mark and the administration, to (Tech predecessor) Coach (Matt) Bragga, to the players and to any and all people that have supported me throughout this process. I don't take it lightly."
Tech captured the OVC's first-ever at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and first-ever appearance in a Super Regional, taking home the Oxford Regional title after defeating No. 2-ranked Ole Miss twice on its home field in one magical day. The Golden Eagles finished the year with a league-record 53 wins, prompting Rice University to tab former Tech head coach Bragga as its new lead man and creating an opportunity.
"The tradition speaks for itself," Holmes said. "You can read about it. That's what these guys are striving for; to create something that is going to outlast them, that is not necessarily going to benefit them, but the people that come after them. The tradition of this program is one of winning. It goes back many decades, and during Coach Bragga's tenure, it's been the most successful stretch in the history of the program."
But the highest level of success experienced by an OVC program doesn't mean there's not room to grow more.
"So, what are my expectations?" Holmes asked, with his answer ready to fire. "My expectations are to be even more successful. It's very difficult for me to think any other way. I will never limit what these guys think they can do. Whatever they want to do, whatever their goals are, it's my job to help them reach those goals. I think there are guys in this locker room that have lofty goals. They believe they can do anything and I certainly would never step in and put my expectations lower than theirs.
"Honestly, I expect to remain competitive at a national level and continue to be a force in the OVC. But if you want to know, you really need to talk to these guys. It can be your idea all you want, but unless it's their idea, it's not going to work. And I think that's what we're blessed with. We're blessed with a program and a culture of people who believe they can do whatever they want to do. We're just going to go about our business, compete and try to achieve that.
An assistant at Mercer University from 2010-2013, Holmes served as both the hitting coach and first base coach to the 2013 Atlantic Sun Conference championship-winning squad. The Bears earned a 43-18 record on their way to their first-ever regular-season championship and NCAA Tournament berth. The team also found itself ranked for the first time in program history.
During his tenure at Mercer, Holmes helped develop and coach a First-Team All-American, three Louisville Slugger Freshman All-Americans, two Capital One Academic All-Americans, three ABCA/Rawlings All-South Team members, the 2013 A-Sun Player of the Year, the 2012 A-Sun Freshman of the Year the A-Sun Scholar-Athlete of the Year, 10 All-Atlantic Sun selections and three players who went to play professional ball. He also helped coordinate a defense that finished first in the NCAA in fielding percentage in 2013.
Mercer won 121 games during his three seasons as a member of the coaching staff, finishing in the top 100 in RPI as well.
Prior to working at Mercer, Holmes served as a volunteer assistant at his alma mater, the University of Georgia, from 2007-2010. He served as the first base coach while preparing and conducting practice sessions devoted to hitter development, base running and infield defense on a daily basis.
In 2008, he was part of the coaching staff that won the 2008 SEC Championships and finished second at the College World Series. Holmes coached and developed two All-Americans, the 2008 SEC Player of the Year, two All-SEC First Team selections from the infield and a Rawlings NCAA Division I Gold Glove winner. He saw six former UGA players move on to professional baseball in his time as coach and helped develop a defense that led the SEC in fielding percentage in 2008.
"The journey has been incredible and it's been fun," Holmes said reflecting on his path to this point. "I've met some incredible people. I've had some great players. I've had some great mentors. My job is now to take all of that and turn it into a successful head coaching career. I'll lean on great mentors and my players because that's what it's all about. I'm here to take care of them and to take care of this program that belongs to the alumni. I know how hard that is going to be to do, but I'm ready for that challenge. It's just an absolute pleasure to be here."
After playing one season at the University of South Florida, Holmes transferred to and played three seasons at the University of Georgia, starting at shortstop from 2002-2004. The captain and co-MVP of the 2004 SEC Championship team, Georgia finished third in the College World Series and finished the season with a 45-23 record. He earned an All-SEC Second Team selection that year, as well as All-Regional and Super Regional honors while batting a team-best .332 with eight home runs and 56 RBI. He finished his career as the program's all-time leader in fielding percentage for a shortstop and as a two-time Scholar Athlete Honor Roll recipient.
The 26th round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2004, Holmes played in the Indians organization for two years, spending time in Burlington, N.C. in the Appalachian League and Eastlake, Ohio for Lake County in the South Atlantic League. He also played for the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of the Frontier League where he was a two-time All-Star selection and finished as the franchise's all-time hits leader.
A graduate of UGA in 2005, Holmes earned his bachelor's degree in classical culture. He is married to the former Elizabeth Newsome of Washington, Ga., a 2008 graduate of the UGA veterinary school and member of Georgia's 2003 and 2004 national championship equestrian teams. The couple lives in Cookeville with their son, Rider and daughter, Vera.
"The Lord has blessed me and my family," Holmes said. "We have a responsibility. We know what we're undertaking, the staff here and myself, and we intend on doing a very good job."
Mitchell wright, Assistant coach (Pitching)
Newly minted head coach Justin Holmes wasted little time in securing the first part of his staff for the 2019 Tennessee Tech baseball season, announcing the return of assistant coach Mitchell Wright in an enhanced role.
"It's unbelievable," Wright said of the opportunity to stay on with the Golden Eagles. "I love it here. My fiancé, Lacy [Anderson], and I are really looking forward to getting our lives started here. I love this team. There's a great dynamic and it's one I've never truly felt before. The relationship between myself and the staff and the players and all of the innerworkings is very intricate. There's a ton of open communication and it's just very special. I am blessed to be here and excited to get rolling again."
Holmes added, "There's no other guy I would want for this position. The guys love him. He's loyal to the program and the University. I'm happy that he will be staying with us."
Wright was heavily involved with the Tech pitching staff in 2018, a unit that turned in the best team earned run average (4.86) in the Ohio Valley Conference and lowest by a Golden Eagle squad since the 2014 campaign. He worked with two of the most decorated pitchers in program history, ace Travis Moths and closer Ethan Roberts, both of whom became All-Americans and top-10 round selections in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft.
"Mitch did a fantastic job this past season," Holmes explained. "He had to walk into his first year at the Division I level and we're a top-25 team. He got thrown right into the fire. He was tested right away and passed with flying colors. We all are in that situation and there's a lot of pressure on every single move that you make and, more than anything, just going to work every day, doing the right things and making sure you are on top of it. And he handled that with grace."
Looking forward to 2019 and beyond, Wright will expand his role on the staff in a number of ways.
"I'll have some more recruiting duties than I've had in the past, working a little bit closer with Coach Holmes on developing offers," Wright explained. "I'll be significantly more involved in pitching this year, expanding on a good role I had last year. I'll likely start by calling pitches early in the year, but I think it's important that whomever is catching is learning and can eventually call the game for us."
Holmes echoed the anticipated role to one that places Holmes as the Golden Eagle pitching coach moving forward.
"When we talk about roles, expanded is a good way to say that, because he did help Coach [Matt] Bragga extensively with the pitching," Holmes said. "Now he is going to take over that program. I'm a baseball guy, but I am not a pitcher by trade, so I feel that we need to have a guy in that position where that's his specialty. His plan, his strategies as far as developing the pitchers, having programs for them to throw on, arm maintenance, everything like that, is top notch.
"His recruiting – he has experience prior to coming here with UAH and being on the road," Holmes added. "He has great connections. I think he has a great rapport with the kids and a good eye for talent, or at least it matches up with what I humbly think is good talent. And it's very important that we speak the same language on that, which we do."
Wright joined the Golden Eagle staff as an assistant coach for the 2018 season after serving as a student and then volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for two and a half years. While in Huntsville, Wright served as a student coach for the 2016 season and then as a volunteer assistant for the 2017 season. He also served as an athletic administration assistant for UAH during his three years as the university, covering an array of responsibilities with game management and staff coordination.
Wright was a member of the Chargers' baseball team as a left-handed pitcher from 2014-15, completing his senior season with All-Gulf South Conference Honorable Mention honors. He struck out 60 batters in just over 50 innings of work on the mound, highlighted with a career-high 10 punchouts at North Alabama.
Prior to his arrival at UAH, Wright played for one season at the University of West Alabama in 2012, eventually transferring to Calhoun Community College for the 2013 season. In 2013, he earned ACCC North Division First Team honors.
A left-handed pitcher for four years, Wright comes from a family of baseball players and coaches. His father, Roger, served as the head baseball coach at Buckhorn High School in New Market, Ala. for 17 years before stepping down in 2014 to watch his sons play. A 2016 inductee into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, he returned to Buckhorn as a head coach in March of 2017.
The Huntsville, Ala. native also has two younger brothers immersed in the baseball world. His middle brother, Kyle, was a star for Vanderbilt from 2015-17 and was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. His youngest brother, Trey, is set return to Buckhorn High School for his sophomore season and play for their father, Roger.
Wright graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in December 2016, earning degrees in both history and secondary education. He is currently engaged to Lacy Anderson.
"The opportunity to stay here is very special to me," Wright said. "I get to stay closer to my family and Lacy really loves Cookeville. The chance to stay at program that is this elite is something I've always dreamed about, but nothing I ever thought would actually happen at this point in my career."
"It's unbelievable," Wright said of the opportunity to stay on with the Golden Eagles. "I love it here. My fiancé, Lacy [Anderson], and I are really looking forward to getting our lives started here. I love this team. There's a great dynamic and it's one I've never truly felt before. The relationship between myself and the staff and the players and all of the innerworkings is very intricate. There's a ton of open communication and it's just very special. I am blessed to be here and excited to get rolling again."
Holmes added, "There's no other guy I would want for this position. The guys love him. He's loyal to the program and the University. I'm happy that he will be staying with us."
Wright was heavily involved with the Tech pitching staff in 2018, a unit that turned in the best team earned run average (4.86) in the Ohio Valley Conference and lowest by a Golden Eagle squad since the 2014 campaign. He worked with two of the most decorated pitchers in program history, ace Travis Moths and closer Ethan Roberts, both of whom became All-Americans and top-10 round selections in the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft.
"Mitch did a fantastic job this past season," Holmes explained. "He had to walk into his first year at the Division I level and we're a top-25 team. He got thrown right into the fire. He was tested right away and passed with flying colors. We all are in that situation and there's a lot of pressure on every single move that you make and, more than anything, just going to work every day, doing the right things and making sure you are on top of it. And he handled that with grace."
Looking forward to 2019 and beyond, Wright will expand his role on the staff in a number of ways.
"I'll have some more recruiting duties than I've had in the past, working a little bit closer with Coach Holmes on developing offers," Wright explained. "I'll be significantly more involved in pitching this year, expanding on a good role I had last year. I'll likely start by calling pitches early in the year, but I think it's important that whomever is catching is learning and can eventually call the game for us."
Holmes echoed the anticipated role to one that places Holmes as the Golden Eagle pitching coach moving forward.
"When we talk about roles, expanded is a good way to say that, because he did help Coach [Matt] Bragga extensively with the pitching," Holmes said. "Now he is going to take over that program. I'm a baseball guy, but I am not a pitcher by trade, so I feel that we need to have a guy in that position where that's his specialty. His plan, his strategies as far as developing the pitchers, having programs for them to throw on, arm maintenance, everything like that, is top notch.
"His recruiting – he has experience prior to coming here with UAH and being on the road," Holmes added. "He has great connections. I think he has a great rapport with the kids and a good eye for talent, or at least it matches up with what I humbly think is good talent. And it's very important that we speak the same language on that, which we do."
Wright joined the Golden Eagle staff as an assistant coach for the 2018 season after serving as a student and then volunteer assistant coach at the University of Alabama in Huntsville for two and a half years. While in Huntsville, Wright served as a student coach for the 2016 season and then as a volunteer assistant for the 2017 season. He also served as an athletic administration assistant for UAH during his three years as the university, covering an array of responsibilities with game management and staff coordination.
Wright was a member of the Chargers' baseball team as a left-handed pitcher from 2014-15, completing his senior season with All-Gulf South Conference Honorable Mention honors. He struck out 60 batters in just over 50 innings of work on the mound, highlighted with a career-high 10 punchouts at North Alabama.
Prior to his arrival at UAH, Wright played for one season at the University of West Alabama in 2012, eventually transferring to Calhoun Community College for the 2013 season. In 2013, he earned ACCC North Division First Team honors.
A left-handed pitcher for four years, Wright comes from a family of baseball players and coaches. His father, Roger, served as the head baseball coach at Buckhorn High School in New Market, Ala. for 17 years before stepping down in 2014 to watch his sons play. A 2016 inductee into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame, he returned to Buckhorn as a head coach in March of 2017.
The Huntsville, Ala. native also has two younger brothers immersed in the baseball world. His middle brother, Kyle, was a star for Vanderbilt from 2015-17 and was selected with the fifth overall pick in the 2017 MLB Draft by the Atlanta Braves. His youngest brother, Trey, is set return to Buckhorn High School for his sophomore season and play for their father, Roger.
Wright graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville in December 2016, earning degrees in both history and secondary education. He is currently engaged to Lacy Anderson.
"The opportunity to stay here is very special to me," Wright said. "I get to stay closer to my family and Lacy really loves Cookeville. The chance to stay at program that is this elite is something I've always dreamed about, but nothing I ever thought would actually happen at this point in my career."
Jimmy Redovian, Assistant coach (outfield/hitting)
The core of the 2018 Tennessee Tech baseball coaching staff is officially back as head coach coach Justin Holmes announced the promotion of former volunteer assistant Jimmy Redovian to assistant coach.
Redovian rejoins a staff of the newly appointed head man, Holmes (Tech's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator the past four seasons) and Mitchell Wright (an assistant on last year's squad) that played significant roles in the record-shattering season by the Golden Eagle baseball team.
"First and foremost, I'm just thankful for this past year and Coach [Matt] Bragga giving me this opportunity to be on as a volunteer," Redovian expressed. "Without that, I probably wouldn't be here and get the opportunity to stay on with Coach Holmes. I want to thank Coach Holmes for believing in me. Coach Holmes, Mitch and I worked well together and we're excited to continue the upward trend of Tennessee Tech baseball."
Holmes added, "Promoting Jimmy is a blessing. It really is. Mitch and him both. Being able to retain both of those guys is incredible. Both of them have experience here at a high level and know what I would expect. I think we all speak the same language and I'm just very happy it was able to work out this way."
Redovian served as a do-it-all man for the Tech staff, from coaching first base to field maintenance and support to batting practice pitcher All-American. He also assisted heavily in operations and built a great rapport with the student-athletes and coaches.
"Jimmy does a great job with the outfielders," Holmes expressed. "He does a great job in assisting with the hitting. He does a great job on the field with maintenance. Bringing him back is a no-brainer and we're lucky to have him."
Looking ahead to 2019 and further, Redovian will take on an extended role in his first season as a full-time assistant.
"I'm looking to enhance my role a little more," Redovian explained. "I get to recruit now. I'm still going to do a lot of the field work, but I'll now get to be a bit more hands on with hitting, the outfield and the position players' daily work. I'm very excited about that."
Holmes also expressed, "No matter how you cut it, Jimmy is going to be heavily involved in pretty much everything we do."
The chance to return to a staff with Wright was also exciting as the two assistants discovered a connection they shared this past season.
"Mitch, man, we've actually roomed together on the road for a year," Redovian said of his colleague. "It's a funny story with Mitch – we met two-and-a-half, three years ago coaching 15-year-old summer ball and we realized that we had played each other for the last year and a half in the same conference. I played at West Florida, he played at Alabama-Huntsville, so we had played each other in conference play. We had some stories for each other and we just kind of meshed the first day we met. I'm excited to keep working with him even though he's kicking me out because his fiancée is moving in."
Redovian joined the Golden Eagle staff as a volunteer assistant coach after serving as an assistant coach and JV coach at Florida Southern during the 2017 season. He joined the Florida Southern College staff in the fall of 2016 following a four-year collegiate baseball career that began at Wake Forest University and ended at the University of West Florida.
The Nashville native helped lead West Florida to the 2016 NCAA Division II South Regional in Tampa, Fla., batting .312 with three homers and 27 RBI as the team's primary designated hitter. During the 2016 NCAA postseason, Redovian batted .407 with six runs batted in and a team-best .448 on-base percentage.
In two seasons with the Argonauts, Redovian played in 93 games with 89 games at third base, shortstop, and as the DH, and compiled a .282 batting average with four home runs, 46 runs batted in and a .380 on-base percentage.
Prior to joining West Florida's baseball program, Redovian played two years in the ACC for Wake Forest University and showed his versatility as a defender having started 25 games with a combined 40 appearances at second base, shortstop and third base. As a Demon Deacon he had two home runs and 10 RBI's over his two seasons.
Redovian attended high school at Battle Ground Academy from 2009-2012, where he played for highly-acclaimed head coach, Brad Myers, and was both an all-region baseball and football player. In 2012, he was named to the All Mid-State team after helping lead BGA to the school's first ever baseball state championship. Redovian signed with Wake Forest while a junior in high school. He also played summer baseball with the acclaimed Middle TN Outlaws, returning as an assistant coach for the 16U team during the summers of 2015 and 2016.
He graduated from the University of West Florida in the spring of 2016 with a bachelor's degree in sports management.
Redovian rejoins a staff of the newly appointed head man, Holmes (Tech's assistant coach and recruiting coordinator the past four seasons) and Mitchell Wright (an assistant on last year's squad) that played significant roles in the record-shattering season by the Golden Eagle baseball team.
"First and foremost, I'm just thankful for this past year and Coach [Matt] Bragga giving me this opportunity to be on as a volunteer," Redovian expressed. "Without that, I probably wouldn't be here and get the opportunity to stay on with Coach Holmes. I want to thank Coach Holmes for believing in me. Coach Holmes, Mitch and I worked well together and we're excited to continue the upward trend of Tennessee Tech baseball."
Holmes added, "Promoting Jimmy is a blessing. It really is. Mitch and him both. Being able to retain both of those guys is incredible. Both of them have experience here at a high level and know what I would expect. I think we all speak the same language and I'm just very happy it was able to work out this way."
Redovian served as a do-it-all man for the Tech staff, from coaching first base to field maintenance and support to batting practice pitcher All-American. He also assisted heavily in operations and built a great rapport with the student-athletes and coaches.
"Jimmy does a great job with the outfielders," Holmes expressed. "He does a great job in assisting with the hitting. He does a great job on the field with maintenance. Bringing him back is a no-brainer and we're lucky to have him."
Looking ahead to 2019 and further, Redovian will take on an extended role in his first season as a full-time assistant.
"I'm looking to enhance my role a little more," Redovian explained. "I get to recruit now. I'm still going to do a lot of the field work, but I'll now get to be a bit more hands on with hitting, the outfield and the position players' daily work. I'm very excited about that."
Holmes also expressed, "No matter how you cut it, Jimmy is going to be heavily involved in pretty much everything we do."
The chance to return to a staff with Wright was also exciting as the two assistants discovered a connection they shared this past season.
"Mitch, man, we've actually roomed together on the road for a year," Redovian said of his colleague. "It's a funny story with Mitch – we met two-and-a-half, three years ago coaching 15-year-old summer ball and we realized that we had played each other for the last year and a half in the same conference. I played at West Florida, he played at Alabama-Huntsville, so we had played each other in conference play. We had some stories for each other and we just kind of meshed the first day we met. I'm excited to keep working with him even though he's kicking me out because his fiancée is moving in."
Redovian joined the Golden Eagle staff as a volunteer assistant coach after serving as an assistant coach and JV coach at Florida Southern during the 2017 season. He joined the Florida Southern College staff in the fall of 2016 following a four-year collegiate baseball career that began at Wake Forest University and ended at the University of West Florida.
The Nashville native helped lead West Florida to the 2016 NCAA Division II South Regional in Tampa, Fla., batting .312 with three homers and 27 RBI as the team's primary designated hitter. During the 2016 NCAA postseason, Redovian batted .407 with six runs batted in and a team-best .448 on-base percentage.
In two seasons with the Argonauts, Redovian played in 93 games with 89 games at third base, shortstop, and as the DH, and compiled a .282 batting average with four home runs, 46 runs batted in and a .380 on-base percentage.
Prior to joining West Florida's baseball program, Redovian played two years in the ACC for Wake Forest University and showed his versatility as a defender having started 25 games with a combined 40 appearances at second base, shortstop and third base. As a Demon Deacon he had two home runs and 10 RBI's over his two seasons.
Redovian attended high school at Battle Ground Academy from 2009-2012, where he played for highly-acclaimed head coach, Brad Myers, and was both an all-region baseball and football player. In 2012, he was named to the All Mid-State team after helping lead BGA to the school's first ever baseball state championship. Redovian signed with Wake Forest while a junior in high school. He also played summer baseball with the acclaimed Middle TN Outlaws, returning as an assistant coach for the 16U team during the summers of 2015 and 2016.
He graduated from the University of West Florida in the spring of 2016 with a bachelor's degree in sports management.
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Garrett Walters, Volunteer Assistant Coach (Catchers)
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Coach Garrett Walters joins the Golden Eagle staff this season as a Volunteer Assistant. Walters is from Birmingham, AL. He played college baseball first at Calhoun Community College and then transferred to the University of Louisiana-Monroe. Walter’s finished a successful college career at ULM and began his coaching career. The past 2 seasons, Walters finished his Master’s Degree at the University of Alabama where he was a student-assistant to the Alabama Baseball team. Garrett has also coached with the acclaimed East Coast Sox Baseball Organization. Walters will handle Catching responsibilities with the Golden Eagles and will be a huge boom to the program in all kinds of ways! We are excited he has joined the family!
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