Cottom Promoted To Eagle Baseball Associate Head Coach

Brady Cottom continues his ascent within the Ashland University baseball program, as, on Tuesday (July 8) morning, Eagle head coach John Schaly announced Cottom's promotion to associate head coach.
 
"He's earned this," Schaly said, "through all the dedication and hard work he's put into the program, and the success that we've had within the program."
 
Said Cottom, "It's incredible. He's the reason I am here in the first place, to learn from one of the greatest coaches of all time. It's a blessing."
 
Cottom began his tenure at AU as a graduate assistant coach in 2021-22, but due to attrition at the catcher position in the spring, he became an active player for one more season after originally playing at NCAA Division III Marietta.
 
From 2023-25, Cottom was an assistant coach for the Eagles prior to his promotion. During those three seasons, Ashland won 33, 42 and 37 games, earned a Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season championship and reached the NCAA Division II postseason in all of them.
 
"He started working with hitters, he's transitioned to pitchers, he's been with catchers," said Schaly. "He's my recruiting coordinator. He does a great job with the recruiting part of things."
 
In 2025, the Ashland pitching staff was in the top 10 in Division II in both strikeouts per nine innings (tied for seventh, 9.3) and shutouts (tied for 10^th, seven). The 2024 campaign saw the Eagle pitchers finish in a tie for fifth in D-II in strikeouts per nine innings with 9.8.
 
Schaly said Cottom has developed the technology and analytics side of the program, the latest part of which is Trackman, which provides data points similar to MLB Statcast.
 
"I want to win. I know Coach wants to win, and our players want to win," Cottom said. "It's what we have to do."