Coe returns home as new KSU baseball coach
Jul. 9—Ryan Coe was named the new baseball coach at Kennesaw State on Friday, taking over for longtime coach Mike Sansing who recently stepped down from the position after 30 years.
Coe, who played and coached at KSU under Sansing for a combined 15 years, returns to the program after a 12-year spell as a scout for the Texas Rangers.
"Just thinking about Kennesaw State brings back so many good memories," Coe said. "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 came to KSU in 1994 after transferring from Tennessee's Cleveland State Community College, where he was a second-team All-American as a catcher. Coe led the Owls to win the 1994 NAIA Baseball national championship, and was named as Kennesaw State's Athlete-of-the-Year.
In 1995, the Owls first year in NCAA Division II, Coe continued to excel. He was the 1995 Peach Belt Athletic Conference Player of the Year, where he continues to hold records in the conference for career slugging percentage with .732 and consecutive games with a home run, with seven.
Coe holds KSU's all-time career records in batting average (.411) and slugging percentage, along with the single-season record for on-base percentage, with .545.
With his successful collegiate career, Coe earned All-American honors at three different levels— junior college in 1993, NAIA in 1994 and NCAA Division-II in 1995.
In the 1995 MLB Amateur Draft, Coe was selected by the Houston Astros. He went on to spend three years with the organization, where he earned a selection as a 1996 Midwest League All-Star.
After his time with the Astros, Coe returned to KSU to serve as assistant coach under newly retired coach Mike Sansing. With the Owls, Coe coordinated recruitment, helped develop catchers and hitters, developed practice plans and ran the in-game offense.
"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," Milton Overton, KSU Director of Athletics, said. "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."
Coe was inducted into the Kennesaw State University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004, and he was one of KSU baseball's first inductees.
In 2009, Coe accepted a position with the Texas Rangers, where he worked to identify and evaluate prospects from the East Coast and Canada for the MLB draft.
