DELAND — Former Stetson baseball assistant Shane Gierke only left DeLand for one year before making his return to campus on July 20: this time as the head coach.
After more than two decades as an assistant at several institutions, including a stint on the Hatters’ staff from 2021-25 as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator, Gierke was introduced to Stetson fans, boosters and players as the head honcho by athletic director Ricky Ray on Aug. 6.
Gierke was emotional when thanking an extensive list of relatives, colleagues and other personal connections for the aid he received on his coaching journey that led back to the school where he served his penultimate assistant role.
But when it was time to talk about the future of the program, the shaky voice was replaced by a serious tone.
“I’m not the guy that’s going to stand up here and talk about Omaha and regionals. What I will promise you today is that this program will work tirelessly to provide a product that’ll make Stetson, our alumni and the city of DeLand proud,” Gierke said during the press conference. “… Honoring the tradition of this storied program will be my ambition daily.”
Gierke left Stetson in 2025 to join UCF’s coaching staff, helping the Knights finish 32-23 with an NCAA Tournament berth last season.
In his four years with the Hatters, Gierke helped Stetson win consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference titles in 2024 and 2025.
Now he’s been tasked with replacing his old boss, Steve Trimper, who stepped down on July 15 after a decade as head coach, and reinvigorating a Hatters team that went 23-32 in 2026.
Gierke’s two-plus decades of experience have prepared him for his first shot as a head coach, and it couldn’t have been at a better place for the Apopka native.
“I wanted to do it at the right place. I’ve had a lot of opportunities to be a head coach over the last, probably, six or seven years, but it wasn’t the right place. This is the right place,” Gierke told the News-Journal. “I grew up in Central Florida. This is home.”
It’s been a little more than two weeks since Gierke took over Stetson’s baseball program after the school’s five-day search, and the groundwork for the success he wants to build has already begun.
Gierke’s first order of business was hiring a staff that he’s confident in. Now it’s about reintroducing himself to the roster he left a year ago, which can look surprisingly different with the transfer portal.
However, Gierke shared that some revoked their intentions to enter the transfer portal once he was hired, which abetted Ray’s testimony from a couple current players that were in support of hiring Gierke when the role opened.
“I’m going to protect the identity of this current player, but I’m going to try to get the quote exactly right to what he said to me when I spoke with him,” Ray said. “He said, ‘Dude, you know who the right guy is. Just go get him.’ That was pretty good advice. We did go get the right guy. I’m excited he said yes and thrilled for what is ahead.”
What’s ahead, in the newest head coach’s eyes, is a return to the winning ways he experienced when he was at Stetson.
“I’m a winner, and we will win,” Gierke said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Stetson introduces new baseball coach Shane Gierke: ‘This is home’
Reporting by Zach Allen, Daytona Beach News-Journal / The Daytona Beach News-Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Zach Allen, Daytona Beach News-Journal | USA TODAY Network
