Eastern Mennonite University has announced the hiring of current assistant coach Adam Posey as the new head baseball coach. He has been the lead assistant at EMU under Ben Spotts the past five seasons.
“I want to thank President Susan Huxman, Dave King, and the search committee for the opportunity to lead the EMU Baseball Program,” said Posey. “I also have to thank Ben Spotts for the leadership that he has provided in not only my own career, but the lives of countless players that have come through the EMU program. Our culture and direction exist today because of the time and effort that he spent over the last seven years working to provide the best student-athlete experience possible.”
After a highly decorated career playing for the Royals, Posey graduated in 2014 and moved over in the dugout to start his role on Spotts’ staff. He then became the first full-time assistant coach in the history of the EMU baseball program during the 2015-16 academic year. Posey has worked as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for his alma mater.
EMU Director of Athletics Dave King said he was excited to have Posey make the step to head coach.
“I’m really pleased to be able to give Adam his first head coaching position,” said King. “He has been an integral part of the development of the baseball program under the leadership of Coach Spotts. Adam has learned from one of the best and I’m confident he will continue moving the program in the right direction. He has a high level of commitment to EMU, the baseball program and the young men he works with. Adam is clearly the right person to continue the work started by Coach Spotts.”
Not only was Posey on-hand for the rebuilding of the EMU baseball program that happened under Spotts, he played an active role. Posey was a senior on the 2014 team, helping to lead the Royals to just their third 20-win season in program history. Then in 2015, in his first season on the coaching staff, EMU tied the program record with 10 ODAC wins and broke a 12-year drought with a trip to the ODAC Tournament.
Posey has been key in recruiting many of the players on the roster, as well as the development of pitchers such as current freshman Connor Lutz (Colonial Beach, Va./Colonial Beach), who was named All-ODAC Third Team earlier this month. He also built a strong relationship during the recruiting process with sophomore outfielder Jaylon Lee (Newport News, Va./Denbigh), who earned an All-ODAC Third Team honor this year.
After playing two years for Spotts and then coaching with him for five, Posey has proven he is ready to become the 11th head coach when the Royals enter their 52nd season.
“It has been a tremendous opportunity to learn over the last seven years from Coach Spotts as both a player and a coach,” Posey explained. “My athletic career blossomed after he joined the program and he has provided great counsel as a trusted mentor in my professional life. I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue to move our program forward as we honor what he has built while pressing into the new direction.”
Despite graduating nine seniors, EMU will return all four of this year’s All-ODAC honorees from a team that tied the program record for ODAC wins and returned to the ODAC Tournament.
King said Posey is well respected by both his own players and other coaches.
“I believe Adam is ready to be a college head coach,” he said, “and that has been confirmed by current players, alumni and ODAC coaches. As pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, he is so integrated into the fabric of the program, that I anticipate this to be a very smooth transition. Adam is very organized, detail oriented and efficient, and I’m confident he can handle the increased responsibilities that come with being a head coach. His own journey to EMU and his student-athlete experience will help him in the recruiting process.”
As a player at EMU, Posey was a two-time All-ODAC honoree, spending time at first base and center field, as well as pitching. He finished with a career .383 batting average, including .424 as a senior when he tied current MLBer Erik Kratz‘s program record with 72 hits. Along with the hit record, Posey still holds EMU records with 170 at-bats in a season and 232.0 career innings pitched. In 46 appearances, he finished with a record of 11-15 and a 4.69 ERA. Over his final two seasons, Posey struck out 107 batters against just 13 walks. He was also named All-State and All-Region as a senior.
With his own nine-year history in Harrisonburg as a player and coach, Posey was excited at the opportunity to take another step in his connection to the Eastern Mennonite campus.
“The greatest privilege that I have is to work alongside of our student-athletes to continue to advance the baseball program within the EMU community,” said Posey. “EMU has been my home for the past nine years and I’m thrilled to continue to work alongside the faculty and staff as we come together to provide a comprehensive student-athlete experience. Our program exists to equip young men to go into the community to serve and lead and I’m thrilled to get back to work with the group that makes up our current roster.”
King echoed Posey’s existing connection to campus.
“I am grateful for all that Adam has contributed to the baseball program and the university,” King commented. “He has given leadership to Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the baseball academic support program. He spoke at Faculty Staff Conference and served on various committees and focus groups on campus. He is committed to continuing to build a baseball program that is aligned with the mission and vision of the university.”
Posey will quickly transition in as EMU’s new head coach, with Spotts’ final day on Monday.
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