DELAND, Fla. \u2013 After Steve Trimper stepped down as Stetson\u2019s head baseball coach in mid-July, the university said it would conduct a national search to find his replacement. However, Stetson did not have to look that far. On July 20, the school hired Central Florida native and former Hatters assistant coach Shane Gierke to be the leader of one of its most successful athletic programs. <\/p>\n
On Aug. 6, Stetson introduced an emotional Gierke to a crowd of family and supporters on campus. Gierke, who spent over 20 years as an assistant college coach, admitted he wasn\u2019t sure he would ever get a head coaching job. When Stetson made the offer, Gierke said it was \u201coverwhelming\u201d and he felt \u201ca lot of emotion especially because it is home.\u201d <\/p>\n
The Apopka native served as an assistant at Stetson from 2021-2025, helping build some of the program\u2019s most successful seasons. He knows the strong tradition of Hatter baseball built by former longtime coach and Stetson Hall of Famer Pete Dunn and enhanced recently by Trimper. The Hatters have made the NCAA Tournament nineteen times and have produced several Major League Baseball players.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonoring that tradition with our current players,\u201d said Gierke, \u201cis something that will be a daily mission for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
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