The Citadel has a new head baseball coach, and it’s a former Clemson Tigers player.
Russell Triplett was named The Citadel’s coach on Wednesday, marking his second NCAA head coaching job. Triplett had previously spent the past 14 seasons as head coach at Newberry College.
He compiled a record of 418-278-1 as head coach at Newberry and guided the program to its first NCAA Division II Baseball Tournament appearance and victory. Triplett was a volunteer assistant on Clemson’s coaching staff in 2007 under Jack Leggett.
“The opportunity to take the helm of a program with as much history, tradition and pure grit as The Citadel is a dream come true,” Triplett said in a news release provided by The Citadel. “The entire process of interviewing for this position has been incredibly fulfilling, and I’d like to personally thank The Citadel’s president, Gen. Walters, The Citadel Director of Athletics Mike Capaccio and every member of the search committee for putting their faith in my background, my experience and my vision. The Citadel ranks as one of those ‘special places’ within the college baseball community, and my entire family and I are thrilled to embrace the unique culture and dedicated alumni base that makes this institution exceptional.”
As a player, Triplett played for the Tigers from 2001-04 after redshirting in 2000. He played in 222 games in four seasons and had a career batting average of .312. Triplett was a member of four NCAA Tournament teams as a player, including Clemson’s 2002 squad that reached the semifinal round of the College World Series in Omaha.
After Clemson, Triplett spent time in the New York Mets organization as a minor league infielder from 2004-05. He was named head coach at Newberry in May 2010.
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