With the retirement of Billy Jack Bowen of
Silo (Okla.), high school baseball has lost one of the top coaches in the game. Bowen went out on top, winning his sixth straight state championship and the 24th in his career.
Bowen's career numbers, which include a national-best 2,252 wins in fall and spring baseball combined, certainly rank him among the nation's best coaches, both objectively and subjectively. With that being said, what does a subjective list of the top 10 high school baseball coaches in the nation look like?
Here's one writer's opinion of the nation's top 10 high school baseball coaches, based on a combination of overall wins, state championships, national championships/rankings, longevity and winning percentage. Bowen is not included on the list due to his retirement.
Under Glen Cecchini's guidance, Barbe has won 12 Louisiana state titles since 1998. (Photo: Roddy Johnson)
1. Glenn Cecchini, Barbe (Lake Charles, La.)
With this 39 wins this year, Cecchini has 1,050 in his career. He added his 12th state championship with an amazing come-from-behind win to beat West Monroe in the Non-Select Division 1 championship game. Barbe has won three national championships under Cecchini's guidance.
2. Todd Fitz-Gerald, Stoneman Douglas (Parkland, Fla.)
Winner of a Class 7A state championship over Plant on Wednesday, Fitz-Gerald has won five state championships as a coach at Stoneman Douglas and American Heritage (Plantation). His teams have been named national champions (by various organizations) four times. He has a record of 505 wins and just 121 losses in 23 years of coaching.
3. Chan Brown, Parkview (Lilburn, Ga.)
Brown has won three national championships in his time at Parkview to go along with 13 regional titles and six state championships. The Panthers came close to adding a seventh this year, falling to Lowndes in the Class AAAAAAA final.
4. Mike Wood, Hamilton (Chandler, Ariz.)
The only coach the Hamilton Huskies have ever had, Wood has guided his team to nine state championships since 1998, including the last two in a row. Hamilton defeated Queen Creek for its second straight Class 6A championship last week.
5. Larry Turner, Owasso (Okla.)
Turner is the all-time winningest coach in Oklahoma for
spring-only coaches with 1,248 wins. He has also won 13 state
championships and is a member of three different baseball Halls of Fame.
6. Matt Buckner, Farragut (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Buckner has been named state coach of the
year in Tennessee four times and he has led the Admirals to five state
championships, including one in 2022. Farragut is currently one of six
teams left competing for the 4A state championship this year.
7. Brett Kay, JSerra Catholic (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
The longest tenured coach in the always-tough Trinity League, Kay has won five league championships in 17 seasons and he has won three championships over the past three season – a Southern California title in 2021 and back-to-back Southern Section Division 1 championships in 2022 and 2023.
8. Matt Petry, St. Mary's Prep (Orchard Lake, Mich.)
The son of former Detroit Tigers pitcher Dan Petry, Matt has guided the Eaglets for 13 seasons. During that time he has won four state championships in Michigan and has been honored as national champions in 2021 and 2022. His team recently put together an 84-game win streak – the third longest streak in high school baseball history. His 2022 team had a 44-0 record, which is the best record for a team recognized as a national champion.
9. Larry Vucan, Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas)
The American Baseball Coaches Association national coach of the year following the 2022 season, Vucan has won three state championships with the Dragons.
10. David Jeans, De La Salle (Concord, Calif.)
Jeans has led the Spartans to 11 straight North Coast Section championship games during his tenure at De La Salle including this year. He will be going for his eighth section title, including his sixth in a row (not including COVID seasons).
