Mason County has named Kevin McClanahan as the next head coach of the baseball team.
McClanahan is a 1994 graduate of Bracken County, lettering in three sports including baseball, where he was a four-year starter helping lead the Polar Bears to four district tournament titles. He’d then go on to play at Northern Kentucky University.
Mason County Assistant Principal and Co-Athletic Director Chris Ullery said the search for a new head coach ended very quickly when Kevin McClanahan expressed his interest.
“We were prepared to wait as long as we needed to find the right person and the right fit for this job. Kevin has an immense amount of baseball knowledge and was a talented player who played the game extremely hard. Coach McClanahan and his staff will teach our players the fundamentals of the game, which are imperative to winning at a high level,” Ullery said, who faced McClanahan many times in his high school days as a Royal.
“Kevin is a natural leader and has worked with various age groups throughout his career. His plan and his eagerness to succeed is going to play a large roll in moving our baseball program forward. Kevin has worked with the youth of Bracken County and has grown their little league to service over 300 kids who play and love the game of baseball. With the newly revived Wald Park, Coach McClanahan shares our expectations in seeing the Mason County youth baseball program prosper and we are confident that this will lead to more success on the baseball diamond at the high school level.”
McClanahan feels that this job is perfect for him.
“Words can’t express how excited I am to be the new baseball coach at Mason County. There was a lot of praying with my wife about this opportunity and strong encouragement from my boys to pursue this and that really made this possible. My passion for baseball and the thought of creating something great with really good people at my side was something that my family knew was too good for me to pass up,” McClanahan said.
“With the talent, the facilities, and the support of the Athletic Department that is here, I truly believe that a powerhouse can be built. The kids and parents are hungry to be great and everything is in place to take that step. Being from this area and battling against Mason County for years, I know what Mason County baseball can be and should be. My staff and I will have a plan in place to ensure that happens.”
Ullery also announced the addition of two assistants to the staff, Mike Tumey and Chad Mefford. Tumey played for the Royals in the early 90’s, helping lead them to the school’s only regional title in ‘94. Tumey was on the Royals staff from 2000-04.
“Coach Tumey knows how to prepare pitchers, handle pitchers and manage a baseball game. I saw firsthand how he would take kids who weren’t all that talented and turn them into a solid starter in our rotation. Most importantly, I saw how players’ confidence soared under his tutelage. Ask anyone who pitched for him, he knows his craft,” Ullery said.
Mefford played for Lewis County in his playing days and later went on to play at Berea. He’s also the current Royals boys’ golf coach.
“Coach Mefford knows the fundamentals of baseball as well as anyone. He will be a great balance to Coach McClanahan and a big asset when it comes to the ins and outs of running a high school program. The best thing about hiring these three guys is that they are here for the kids. They all have communicated with us and with each other that their goal is to achieve the best high school baseball experience for our students. But, I also know how competitive these three guys are. They are going to work extremely hard and put in a lot of long hours to help these kids achieve their goals on and off the field,” Ullery said.
McClanahan and his staff will meet with all parents and players in grades 9-12 who have an interest in playing high school baseball on Monday at 7 p.m., in the high school library.
