VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University has named Jan Weisberg as head coach of the Blazer baseball team, announced Wednesday by Director of Athletics Troy Katen. Weisberg is just the third head coach of the Valdosta State baseball program since 1967, following VSU Hall of Fame selection Tommy Thomas (1967-2007) and Greg Guilliams, who left to be the head coach at Flagler College last month.

Weisberg joins the Blazers following a 17-year stint at NCAA Division III Birmingham Southern College. There, he compiled a record of 544-209-1 (.722) culminating in a magical run to the College World Series. It marked Weisberg’s second trip to the CWS with the Panthers as his 2019 squad finished national runner-up. He led BSC to 11 seasons of 30-plus victories, winning 14 conference titles across both the Southern Athletic Association and the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

In March of 2024, it was announced Birmingham Southern would shut down after 168 years of operation, sparking a Cinderella story from the baseball team as it made national headlines with a run to the NCAA Division III College World Series. BSC, the No. 7-seed, eventually fell to Wisconsin-Whitewater, 11-10, in the national semifinals. Under his guidance, BSC was the fourth winningest program in the country in Division III during the 2010s, as the Panthers were recognized by D3baseball.com with four players earning All-Decade Honors.

“I am excited to have Jan join the Blazer athletic department as our next head baseball coach,” Katen said. “He has proven throughout his career and at different levels, the ability to develop student-athletes on and off the field of play. Please join me in welcoming Jan, his wife Alyssa, and their two boys to Blazer Nation.”

“This is a very exciting opportunity for me and my family to join Valdosta State University and the Blazer Athletics family,” Weisberg said. “You will get a lot of passion from me as we move forward to create sustained success as a program. Valdosta State is a beautiful place, there is great tradition in this program, and we will work tirelessly to create a high-expectation, high-achievement culture that will lead to great successes on and off the field that the VSU alumni, student-body, and university can be proud of. I look forward to joining with our players to help elevate the Blazer brand through a successful baseball program.”

Prior to BSC, Weisberg guided Transylvania University to a runner-up finish in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference, the highest finish in program history and a berth in the program’s first conference tournament in 2006. He had seven players earn all-conference honors that season while also creating the first booster group raising over 15 percent of the 2006 budget and the first summer baseball camp which had over 300 attendees.

Weisberg attended Kentucky as a player from 1991-1992. He earned two varsity letters in 1991 and 1992, while helping the Wildcats to a then-school-record 41 victories and a NCAA regional berth in 1991. As a team captain in 1992, Weisberg finished the season fifth on the single-season RBI list. He competed at San Jose City College from 1987-90 where he helped lead SJCC to a California Junior League Final Four appearance in 1989 and was voted team captain in 1990, prior to transferring to UK.

Following his on-field career, Weisberg shifted to a coaching role as a graduate assistant at Kentucky in 1993-94, before moving to a full-time assistant from 1994 to 2005. He added the tag of recruiting coordinator in 1999, serving in that capacity through 2005. Weisberg had three top 25 recruiting classes at UK and 60 percent of his players earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. He also coordinated the team offense, instructed hitters, catchers and infielders and coached third base. In 2000, the UK offense set a school-record for slugging percentage.

Weisberg collected Alabama Coach of the Year honors four times, producing five Academic All-America selections, three NCAA Gold Glove winners, 15 All-America honorees, one National Pitcher and one National Player of the Year. He had four student-athletes drafted in the MLB Draft since 2011, tying for the most in NCAA Division III.

“The end goal is to win championships, create leaders, and add value to the lives of our players,” Weisberg said. “I cannot wait to jump in and get to work WITH our team to make this vision a reality.”