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| NC Wesleyan athletics photo |
The William Peace University Athletics Department is excited to announce that veteran coach Charlie Long will take the helm of Pacer Baseball as the Head Baseball Coach.
Long boasts a decorated career in the USA South where he coached at NC Wesleyan College from 1991 to 2018, starting as an Assistant Baseball Coach before being named the Head Baseball Coach in 1999. During his time at NCWC, Long was named USA South Coach of the Year in 1999, 2009, 2010, and 2013. In 1999, Long led the Battling Bishops to a NCAA DIII National Championship Title, defeating St. Thomas (Minn.) to finish a monumental year that saw the team finish 42-9. That season, Long was also named the National Coach of the Year and the North Carolina Baseball Coaches' Association Coach of the Year. Long also led the team to another NCAA South Regional Title in 2006, and holds a 16-9 NCAA Tournament record.
Long is ecstatic to join the Pacers, stating,"I am very excited to be back in the USA South competing against some of the best teams in the country. Coach Chris Duty and his staff have done an incredible job in setting the bar high for the William Peace Baseball Program and I hope to build on the foundation they have established. I look forward to working with the student athletes as we set high goals on and off the field. I am thankful to Athletic Director Tom Curle and Assistant Athletic Directors Claude Shields and Nicole Barringer, President Brian Ralph, Vice President Frank Rizzo, and the entire search committee for this amazing opportunity."
From his time as an assistant from 1991-1998 and his time as a head coach from 1999-2016, Long was a part of 17 total USA South Championships, totaling 475 wins in his career. Mike Fox, former Head Baseball Coach at UNC Chapel Hill (1999-2020), worked alongside Coach Long at NCWC (1983-1999), and was excited about Long's return to baseball, stating, "Charlie Long and I have a longstanding personal and professional relationship, which I value a great deal. He is an outstanding coach who will impart life lessons on his players that will stay with them forever. Any parent would want their son to play for Coach Long. He will treat the players with respect and bring dignity to any program he coaches. I am thrilled for Coach Long and his family as he returns to the diamond where he truly belongs."
Scott Forbes, the current Head Baseball Coach at UNC Chapel Hill and who played for Long from 1995-97 at NCWC, spoke about the impact that Coach Long had on his career and life, saying, "Coach Long was a great coach, but most importantly he had a great influence on my life. Coach practiced what he preached and showed us all at NCWC what it looked like to be a great leader, husband, and dad. I would not be in the position I am in without his influence and his belief in me as a player. A great coach but an even better person and man."
Athletic Director Tom Curle echoed Coach Forbes' thoughts, stating, "A review of Coach Charlie Long's resume and long history of excellence is impressive, but only tells a small part of his story. I am truly impressed by the recommendations received, which detailed the strong relationships that Coach Long built as a mentor and coach to his players throughout his career. Coach Long is committed to promoting a culture of excellence that will have a positive and life-long impact on the lives of our baseball players. He brings a wealth of experience, enthusiasm, and energy to our baseball team, athletic department, and University. His interest in our position is a testament to the baseball program that has been established over the past few years. I am confident that Coach Long will build upon our strong foundation and take us to the next level of competitiveness in the USA South Athletic Conference."
Coach Long was inducted into the NC Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2016 and the University of Mount Olive Hall of Fame in 2017. He graduated from the University of Mount Olive in 1989 with a B.A. in History. In 1990 he would gain his Teachers Certification from Campbell University, later graduating with a Masters in Educational Administration in 1996 from Campbell.