Kyle Palmer is entering his third season at the helm of the Blazers program. In his first year with Belhaven, Palmer and the Blazers went 8-8 in a shortened 2020 season.
Palmer joined the Blazers after service at California Baptist University in Riverside, California, where he has most recently worked as Director of Baseball Operations under Head Coach Gary Adcock. The Lancers are NCAA Division I members of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
Prior to Cal Baptist, Coach Palmer served as Pitching Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) from 2012-18, under Head Coach Jared Hood. During his tenure at ETBU, the Tigers emerged as an annual American Southwest Conference (ASC) contender after the staff inherited a program that went nearly a decade without an ASC tournament win. Palmer led recruiting efforts which produced 5 ASC Tournament qualifying teams, two 30-win seasons, 31 ASC All Conference players, 4 All Americans, 62 ASC All Academic players and one Major League Baseball (MLB) draft pick (Tyler Bates, Anaheim Angels). Two of those ETBU squads led NCAA Division III nationally in home runs (2016, 2017).
His ETBU coaching responsibilities included coordination of on and off campus recruiting, practice and game management of the pitching staff, creation of scouting reports, supervision of the academic success program, coordination of a mission trip to the Dominican Republic, direction of baseball camp operations, management and inventory of equipment, field maintenance and assistance with NCAA compliance.
Palmer commented, "Meredith and I are extremely grateful for this exciting opportunity that the Lord has provided for us at Belhaven University. There are instances in life when God makes his sovereign plan for us exceptionally clear. The opportunity to lead a historic baseball program at a university that encourages students to excel athletically, academically, and spiritually is one of these God-directed occasions for me. It is an honor to build upon the great work of Coach Denson and I look forward to seeing what God has in store for this program. We are thankful for Dr. Parrott, Scott Little and the Belhaven community for showing us such wonderful hospitality as we begin this transition. We can't wait to join this university and the amazing things God is doing in Jackson."
He spent 2011-12 on the staff at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, where he assisted with pitchers and catchers and managed the recruiting database as part of his on and off campus recruiting responsibilities.
Coach Palmer served as a Graduate Assistant and Assistant Camp Director at Texas A&M University from 2009-2011, under Head Coach Rob Childress. His duties included on-campus recruiting, pitcher conditioning, operations assistance, supervision of undergraduate assistants and management of equipment. During that span the Aggies made a College World Series appearance, posted two 40+ win seasons, won 2 Big XII Tournament championships, hailed 5 All Americans and had 13 student-athletes drafted. He earned his Master of Education degree in Educational Technology.
Originally from Bremond, Texas, Palmer is a 2009 graduate of Texas Lutheran University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. His collegiate playing days were as a catcher and the Bulldogs won ASC Tournament championships in both 2006 and 2007, earning NCAA West Regional berths as a result.
Accolades from the collegiate baseball community
"Belhaven University certainly hit a homerun in the hiring of Kyle Palmer as its new head baseball coach replacing a legend in Hill Denson. Coach Palmer has worn many hats during his career at many different levels and two things have always been at the core of Coach Palmer's stops. He has always been a servant leader first and foremost and success has always followed. Coach Palmer will embrace the rich history that Coach Denson has created and do his very best to create a bright future the right way!"
Rob Childress, Head Baseball Coach, Texas A&M University
"Coach Palmer's positive impact on our program, especially in this difficult year of transitioning to D1 cannot be understated. Kyle is a true leader, hard worker, forward thinker and above all else a man of God! We will miss him dearly but are so excited about his journey ahead."
Gary Adcock, Head Baseball Coach, California Baptist University
"Kyle Palmer will be an absolute asset to the Belhaven program. His loyalty, dedication and thirst for knowledge are qualities that all programs need to succeed. I am extremely happy for Kyle and wish him the best."
Jared Hood, Head Baseball Coach, East Texas Baptist University
