Longwood names VMI assistant Ray Noe as new head baseball coach

Ray Noe has been named the new head coach of the Longwood University baseball program.

Noe comes to Longwood from VMI, where he most recently served as the lead assistant and recruiting coordinator.

In 2024, he guided a VMI offense that posted 73 home runs, with Grayson Fitzwater breaking the program record for home runs in a single season. As a team, the Keydets batted .292, the fourth-best average in the Southern Conference, and they led the nation with 178 stolen bases. In addition, the team ranked 36th in the nation with a .410 on-base percentage.

As the team’s hitting coach in 2023, he helped guide VMI to a historic season on offense. The Keydets finished fifth in the nation with a .322 batting average, tied for 44th in hits and tied for 49th in runs. In addition, the squad ranked 16th in slugging percentage (.529) and 25th in on base percentage (.409).

Noe, a 2011 graduate of Wittenburg University, started his college coaching career at VMI in 2019.

A four-year starter on the baseball team at Wittenberg University from 2007-11, he was an all-conference and all-state selection as a senior. He served as a team captain for his final two seasons as well.

He moved into coaching at the high-school level after graduation, posting a 52-32 record in his last stop at Pickerington High School Central before moving to IMG Academy, where he worked from 2018-2019. While at IMG, he worked with the outfielders on the top-ranked team in the country and dove into analytics before moving to VMI.

“I am so excited to announce Ray Noe as our new head baseball coach,” Longwood Athletics Director Tim Hall said. “He is equipped for this opportunity through training, preparedness, and temperament. He has a wide array of experience in and around the game that will pay dividends. He is laser-focused on comprehensive student-athlete welfare, developing young men on and off the field, and competing for championships. We welcome Ray, his wife Mary, and their daughter Emilia to the Longwood and Farmville community.”

“I couldn’t be more excited to become the next Head Baseball Coach at Longwood University,” Noe said. “The commitment to winning, furthering of the program, and providing our student-athletes with the best possible experience was apparent when I spoke with administration and others throughout the process.

“I want to personally thank Athletic Director Tim Hall for trusting in me and believing in my vision for the baseball program. My family and I are excited to immerse ourselves in the Lancer community and get to work,” Noe said.