Coaching Staff Bios

Head Coach, Darrel "Sparky" Grissom	Hometown: Hamilton, OH Position: Head Coach Birthdate: 3/17/56 Experience: 13th Season Alma Mater: Talawanda High School Graduated: June 1974 Darrel Grissom is the current Head Coach and Coordinator of Baseball Operations for the Miami University Hamilton Harriers. Coach Grissom is entering his 13th season leading the Harriers. Under Grissom's guidance, MUH has won 11 of 12 conference championships, 11 of 12 conference tournaments and has averaged more than 29 wins a year bringing success and stability on a year in and year out basis. During Coach Grissom's coaching career, he has compiled a record of 383 wins to only 188 losses and 1 tie over 12 full seasons as Head Coach. Through Grissom’s 12 years at the helm, the Harriers have become one of the most dominant collegiate baseball teams in the state of Ohio. Coach Grissom has also been very active in the summer, coaching Cincinnati Morgenroth, who won both regional and state championships between the years of 1996-1998. In 1998, Grissom led Cincinnati Morgenroth to the Dizzy Dean World Series Championship. Also to Grissom’s credit, Morgenroth placed 2nd in 2003, 2004, and 2005 at the Hap Dumont World Series. Other accomplishments include: 3rd place at the CABA Gold World Series in 2006, 1st place finishes at the USA All-Star World Series in the 17 and 18 year old divisions in 2007, and a 5th place finish at the Premier World Series one of the top World Series events in the nation. Grissom has also had the pleasure of coaching Diamond Baseball Academy in 2001 and coaching Team Ohio in 2006 and 2007. In 2009, Grissom set out on a new baseball venture, co-founding the Hamilton Joes of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League (GLSCL).  The GLSCL is one of only eight summer collegiate wood-bat leagues in the United States sanctioned by the National Association of College Summer Baseball.  It is funded in part by Major League Baseball and consists of MLB draft prospects from around the nation.  Darrel took the head coaching responsibilities of the Joes where he has the opportunity of working with fine athletes from various different levels of college baseball. In 2010,  the Joes completed only their second season by winning the GLSCL Championship and are currenly ranked 13th in the entire nation.  The majority of hs players played their high school and summer baseball in the greater Cincinnati area giving the Joes a hometown following and feel.is turning a new page in his summer coaching career. Darrel is taking the head coaching and co-founder responsibilities of the Hamilton Joes a collegiate team in the Great Lakes Summer League. Grissom will have the opportunity of working with fine athletes from various different levels of college baseball. The majority of his players played their high school and summer baseball in the greater Cincinnati area giving the Joes a hometown following and feel. Off the field, Darrel is married to his loving wife Jill of 36 years and has three children Amy Baker, Niki Hudson, and Adam, who is the head Baseball Coach at Northwest High School in Cincinnati.  Darrel also has six lovely grandchildren that love to call him “paw paw”. For information about the Miami University Hamilton Harriers, contact Darrel Grissom at (513) 863-0786 or darrelgrissom@fuse.net.
Assistant Coach, Butch Davis	Hometown: Hamilton, Oh Position: Assistant Coach, 1st Base Coach Birthdate: 5/8/45 Experience: 11th Season Alma Mater: Taft High School Graduated: June 1964 Coach Butch Davis is now in his eleventh year as assistant coach with the Harriers. Butch has been an instrumental part of the program, along side of Coach Grissom since he took over the head coaching responsibilities 11 years ago.  Coach Butch Davis brings with him a wealth of knowledge from playing, coaching, and umpiring the game of baseball. Coach Davis primary tasks are coaching 1st base and bench coach. Some of Davis’s accomplishments include: a certified umpire for both the high school ranks as well as the collegiate level for over 30 years. In 1994, Coach Davis was inducted into the Butler County Softball Hall of Fame. Butch is also employed by Mercy Hospitals as a security officer and has served in that capacity for over 30 years.  Davis resides in Hamilton with his loving wife Connie.
Assistant Coach, Joshua Manley	Hometown:  Franklin, OH Position:  Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator Birthdate:  02/24/80 Experience:  3rd Season Alma Mater:  Franklin High School Graduated:  June 1998 Joshua Manley is in his third year with the Harriers' coaching staff, where he serves in a multitude of roles. Coach Manley is the program's Recruiting Coordinator and is responsible for evaluating high school student athletes and identifying those who have the potential to play collegiate baseball at a high level,  scouting and recruiting them.  He is also returning as the team's Strength and Conditioning Coach; he is responsible for creating, implementing, directing and maintaining the Harriers' physical training and conditioning program.  Coach Manley's responsibilities on the field include instructing the outfielders on defensive play and instructing baserunning; during games, he is the team's First Base Coach. Coach Manley came to the Harriers shortly after wrapping up a nine-year career in the U.S. Army.  Most recently, he served as a Flight Medic in the 25th Infantry Division, based out of Hawaii.  He is also a decorated Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During and after Josh's time in the Army, he spent time working for Hawaii Winter Baseball, Major League Baseball's former winter offseason league for A and AA prospects.  Upon returning to Ohio in June, 2009, he joined Coach Grissom's Hamilton Joes, of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League as the Assistant General Manager.  The following year, he served as a Joes Assistant Coach and recruiter.  That, in only their second year of existence, they won the 2010 Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League Championship en route to a 12th overall national ranking according to Perfect Game, outranking many Cape Cod, Coastal Plains and Northwoods teams.  In early 2011, Manley took over as the organization's Vice President and General Manager. A 1998 Franklin High School graduate, Coach Manley now resides in Lindenwald with his wife, Lucy, and their 150 lb. bullmastiff, Reuben.  Having not completed his undergrad while serving in the U.S. Army, he will complete his Bachelor in History in May 2012 and pursue a master's in history and anthropology. Contact Information: manleyjd@muohio.edu or please call (513) 267-0601
	Hometown: Colerain Township, OH Position: Assistant Coach/Pitching Coach Experience: 3rd Season Alma Mater: Colerain High School Graduated: June 2004 Nick Fox enters his third year on the Harriers’ coaching staff.  After serving two years as the Bullpen Coach, Coach Fox has been promoted to Pitching Coach for the 2011/2012 season.  Coach Fox brings valuable experience both as a player and as a coach.  A former Miami Hamilton player, Fox was on the Harriers’ pitching staff from 2005 to 2007. Fox played high school ball at Colerain High School before joining the Harriers’ as a player in 2005.  He played two years for the Harriers’ on teams that won two conference titles as well as a conference tournament title. After finishing his playing career, Coach Fox became the Head Coach for the Cincinnati Stix 15u select baseball team.  After one year with the Stix, Fox joined the coaching staff of the Panel Barn Lumberkings, an 18 year old select baseball team based in Ross, OH.  He serves as the pitching coach for the Lumberkings. Coach Fox is a 2011 graduate of the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Finance.  After finishing his degree, he accepted a position with Cincinnati Sub-Zero as a Financial Analyst.  He currently resides in Western Hills and is engaged to be married in October.