By Mario Cabral | Utica Blue Sox media relations intern

January 21, 2019

UTICA, NY – Doug Delett has already led the Blue Sox as a player and pitching coach, but now he’s making the move up to lead the team as the new head coach for this upcoming season.

Working with more prestigious schools and being recognized on a national stage really influenced the decision in making Delett the new head coach. General manager George Deak’s vision was to make Delett the new head coach for a handful of years.

Assigning him as pitching coach and assistant head coach was all part of the plan in grooming him into the head coach position. Deak can already see positive changes resulting from the decision.

“I think we’re seeing immediate dividends,” Deak said. “We have our first All-American coming to the Blue Sox, a first baseman from Mississippi State, and about a 75 percent Division I roster. We’re doing a lot of good things Doug is helping us do by elevating him as new head coach.”

In his first year as pitching coach, Delett led the Blue Sox all the way to the finals before being promoted as assistant head coach. As the assistant head coach, he saw a lot of things that could be improved for the better of the team. Now, as head coach, Delett wants to change the atmosphere of the clubhouse from a win-only environment to a player-friendly environment with a player development philosophy.

“College baseball should be more developmental and it shouldn’t be all about winning,” Delett said. “Of course fans want to see you win, but our main goal is to create the best players. These kids come to our program not to win, but to help them become better ball players for their colleges.”

Even as pitching coach, Delett has always been a clubhouse favorite. Being a former player for the Blue Sox, Delett knows how to connect with his players to create a good relationship. The players absolutely love his coaching style, as he has a different approach to coaching summer collegiate baseball.

“I completely love coach Delett. His mentality on summer ball is different,” returning Blue Sox outfielder LJ Bryant said. “He’s trying to get guys to progress and is not just focused on winning. He understands that winning comes after developing your players and making them better.”

This view on coach Delett is consistent throughout all the players; similar remarks have been made by another returning player Brenton Philips.

“He is an amazing coach, I had an amazing time playing for him last year, and I knew immediately I was coming back to play as soon as I found out he was the new head coach,” Philips said. “He’s one of the nicest coaches I’ve ever played for and treats his players with a level of respect you don’t get from most coaches.”

There is a new sense of motivation within the clubhouse and the front office with this new move. Players are eager to start off the season right and the Utica Blue Sox look to make the playoffs again and have a successful season under Delett in 2019.

For more information about the Utica Blue Sox, please contact director of communications Cooper Deck at [email protected] or 315-404-3759.