SEATTLE — Seattle University Baseball head coach Donny Harrel is pleased to announce the promotion of Millard Dawson, who has been elevated from a volunteer status to a full-time role.
"I want to thank Donny for this opportunity and trusting me," said Dawson. "It's truly a blessing to be promted into this position. I am looking forward to recruiting and coaching a special group of young men in our quest for a WAC championship.
Dawson completed his fourth with the baseball program at Seattle U in 2020-21, and his third as an assistant under Coach Donny Harrel. In his first season, he served as a student manager for the Redhawks before joining on a volunteer basis. As a member of the Harrel's coaching, Dawson oversaw the small-game offense and outfielders, while also serving as the team's first base coach.
"I am so proud of Millard moving into a full-time position with us," said Harrel. "His loyalty to the program over the past four years has earned him this opportunity. He will do a great job on the recruiting trail for us and his knowledge of our players and our culture makes him the perfect person for the job."
He played college football and baseball for the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB). He played centerfield for the Blazer's baseball team and was a WR/QB on the football team from 2001-03 before transferring to play baseball at the University of Montevallo. Dawson helped lead the Falcons to a 43-18 record in his senior season, and was ranked third in the nation by USA Today after losing in the Division II College World Series to the University of Tampa. Dawson hit .361 with 32 stolen bases during his final season year.
After the College World Series, Dawson signed with the Kansas City T-Bones of the Northern Independent League as an OF. Dawson also split time with the Anderson Joes and Charlotte County Redfish before making the switch back to football in the Arena Football League.
Dawson moved to Atlanta, Ga., in 2013 to coach baseball at East Cobb and was also named Paideia School's (Atlanta) Head Baseball Coach in August 2013, where he led the Pythons to an overall 42-35 record in his first three seasons as head coach.
During this time, Dawson joined Head Coach Mike Twardoski's staff at Emory University prior to the start of the 2017 season, helping the Eagles to a 27-14 record and a berth into the NCAA Tournament. As a member of Twardoski's staff, he assisted with the offense and running game, as well as overseeing the outfield.
Dawson received his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology/Health Promotion from the University of Montevallo in 2006 and completed his master's in Sport Management from Troy University. Dawson resides in Seattle with his fiancé, Luz, and their son EJ.