Seattle University head baseball coach Donny Harrel has announced that Mike Nadeau will join the Redhawk baseball staff as a volunteer assistant coach beginning in the 2012-13 academic year.
Nadeau has been the head coach at Pierce College for the past three years, leading the Raiders to back-to-back 30-win seasons and Northwest Athletic Association of Community Colleges (NWAACC) West Region titles. Just last month, he coached the team to the program's first ever conference championship, earning NWAACC Coach of the Year honors.
"We are extremely excited to hire Mike. He has done a tremendous job at Pierce College, and his morals and values fit everything we believe in here at Seattle U," Harrel said. "Anytime you can hire a head coach to be a part of your program, it becomes hugely beneficial to the entire organization. Mike did a great job resurrecting the Pierce program and will add to our growth here at SU as we venture into the WAC."
Over the past three years, Nadeau has coached 21 players who are or will be playing at four-year colleges around the country, including six players from the team that recently won the conference championship. At Seattle U, he will be responsible for working with the outfielders, assisting with hitting, and overseeing the squad's base running and small game strategy.
Before taking the head job at Pierce College, Nadeau was an assistant at the University of Puget Sound for one year and at Shoreline Community College for four seasons. He has been the head coach of The Buzz, a summer select program based in Federal Way, for nine years and is also the founder and president of Nadeau Sports Training.
Nadeau played for Pat Casey, now the head coach at Oregon State, at George Fox University, earning National NAIA Division II Player of the Year honors in 1994. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 1994 MLB Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and played for six years in the minor leagues.
"Mike also was fortunate enough to play professional baseball, so his experience as a player allows him to gain insight at all levels of baseball. We are blessed to have hired such an outstanding individual," remarked Harrel.
Nadeau received his bachelor's degree in history from George Fox in 1994. He and his wife Heather have two children, a daughter named Ella and a son named Keaton.
The Seattle University baseball team begins its fourth season of competition in 2012-13 after being brought back as a varsity sport in 2008. The Redhawks will move into the Western Athletic Conference and will be eligible for the conference championship and a berth into the NCAA Tournament.