Less than a week after the biggest win of his baseball coaching career, Mike Sandman was faced with one of the toughest decisions he’s ever had to make.
Due to family and professional reasons, Sandman has decided to step down after four seasons at New Albany, which he led to the Division II state championship this spring, to become the dean of students at Utica Middle School, pending school board approval.
Sandman, a 2009 graduate of Utica High School, informed his team during a meeting at New Albany on June 19, six days after the Eagles defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 4-1 for the program’s third state title.
Along with the professional move, which Sandman said will allow him to help more students, stepping down as coach means he can spend more time with his wife, Lydia, and son, Brooks, who is 4.
“When you look at the team on paper and what’s coming back, that made it very difficult, but it came down to as my son has gotten older, I realized I don’t want to miss out on him growing up,” Sandman said.
Pitcher Bryson Gittins, who went 10-0 this season as a junior, said he was stunned by the announcement.
“It was a complete shock,” Gittins said. “I knew how much time he sacrificed for the team and the effort he put into it. I didn’t think he’d be able to be here for 20-plus years, but I didn’t think it would happen this quick. It was sad.”
Sandman, 36, went 80-38 at New Albany. The Eagles also reached the state tournament in 2025, losing in a semifinal.
“This is probably the most fun year I’ve had playing baseball with him as the coach and this coaching staff,” Gittins said. “It was perfect. … Everyone says he’s a big kid. He loves baseball. He’s a great coach. He loved everything.
“I’ll definitely keep in touch with him and hope to see him at a game or two. I’ll definitely keep talking with him when I get to college. I’ll always have him there.”
A resident of Newark, Sandman said his new position also means a shorter commute. He taught American history and government at New Albany for two years after previously teaching American history, world history, leadership development and history of sports at Utica High School for 10 years.
Sandman, who played college baseball at Ball State, previously coached at Utica for eight seasons – including three as head coach – and at Johnstown for one. He has a 130-75 career record.
He has also faced challenges off the field. He was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2021, and following treatment, said he has received a positive prognosis.
“I’ve been blessed on that front to get it all taken care of and so far, it’s been all good,” he said.
Sandman succeeded Dave Starling, who led New Albany to the Division I state title in 2021.
Starling, who went on to coach Hilliard Bradley for three seasons, died unexpectedly in September.
“I’m so proud that I got the chance to coach New Albany,” Sandman said. “I can still remember like it was yesterday walking in for my first interview, and I can’t believe how fast four years go by. I took over for a great coach in Dave Starling, who had the program at this height before the job came open, and to be able to get the program back to where it belongs is a pretty special feeling.”
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mike Sandman resigns as coach of OHSAA champion New Albany baseball
Reporting by Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Frank DiRenna, Columbus Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
