COLCHESTER, VT Seth Cole, a former Purple Knights second baseman and team captain as an undergraduate, has been named Head Coach of the Saint Michael's College varsity baseball program. He is the 18th head coach in the program's 93-year history, and only the second since the program was reinstituted as a varsity sport in 1990. It had been discontinued after the 1981 season.

Cole will be balancing the coaching responsibilities with his duties as the College's Sports Information Director, where he manages a complete sports information and public relations program for the Purple Knights' 21 NCAA Division II varsity sports.

"We are thrilled to have Seth enhancing his role at the College in this capacity" said Geri Knortz, Director of Athletics, in announcing Cole's hiring. She continued, "The qualities that make him the highly valued employee he is, combined with his experiences as a student-athlete, make him a very good fit for this opportunity at Saint Michael's." Cole succeeds Perry Bove as the Knights' baseball coach, who resigned from the position in October after 17 seasons.

A native of Blue Hill, Maine, Cole was the starting shortstop for three seasons at George Stevens High School, and led them to the 1997 State Class C Championship the first state baseball title in school history. At Saint Michael's, Cole enjoyed a four-year career as a starter at second base for the Purple Knights. The team enjoyed a winning record in each of his final three seasons, and he graduated holding program records in career runs scored, and most doubles in a season and career. He was awarded the College's George Doc' Jacobs Award, given annually to the student who makes a truly outstanding contribution to the Saint Michael's athletic department, and graduated in 2001.

During the summers of his undergraduate years and the two summers after graduation from Saint Michael's, Cole gained baseball coaching experience at the semi-pro, American Legion, high school, and 13-14 age group levels. But his growing professional career in sports media relations eventually eclipsed his opportunities to stay involved in coaching until now. After earning two of the nation's most revered internships in the sports information/public relations industry - the Asa S. Bushnell Internship with the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) in 2001, and the Brian Fishman Internship with USA Hockey in 2002 he accepted the position of Coordinator of Media Relations for USA Hockey in Colorado Springs in 2002. He returned to Saint Michael's as Sports Information Director in September, 2003.

"I am honored and humbled to be chosen as Saint Michael's baseball coach," Cole said, "The program has meant a great deal to me since my freshman season, and I take great pride in succeeding Coach Bove in the position. I am looking forward to working with such a great group of young men."

TRANSACTION: Seth Cole named Head Baseball Coach at Saint Michael's College.