Greg Scott resigns as Milan baseball coach

Milan coach Greg Scott talks to his team after beating Lakeland Prep in the Class 2A sectionals this season.

After making program history earlier this month, Milan baseball will be looking for a new head coach this summer as Greg Scott announced his resignation on Wednesday.

“For me personally, the Lord is calling me away from coaching baseball at Milan High School in this season of life, and I am excited to see how He wants me to serve in both the near and distant future,” Scott said about why he stepped down. “I felt for several weeks the Lord telling me that when education in a few years that ministry will be my next chapter. I have felt strongly for the second half of this season that is next. Being a coach is a lot of time, especially for us January to May. I love baseball. I love that group of boys, and I will be a big Bulldog fan next spring.”

The Bulldogs are coming off back-to-back appearances in the Class 2A state tournament for the first time in program history, and they finished as state runner-up in 2023 and in the state semifinals this season.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 27-10 season, which included the District 14-2A championship, Region 7-2A runner-up finish, sweep of Lakeland Prep in the Class 2A sectionals and a semifinal appearance in the Class 2A state tournament.

“The opportunity to continue the excellence established long ago with Bulldog Baseball is one that I hold as a high honor,” Scott said. “The success on the field we have experienced over the past three years should be a springboard into the future for the program and the 2025 team will bring back a ton of experience, especially on the mound. It has been a blessing to be able to build relationships with these young men and watch the hard work they put in turn into achieving their goals on the field.”

But the big moments aren’t what Scott takes away from the last three years.

“We had a dugout full of guys that rooted for each other,” Scott said. “It was watching those guys work together. When I was announced as coach in June 2021, that team said we want to get out of the district. And now we have gone to three straight sectionals and two straight state tournaments. Next year’s head coach will have five of our six top pitchers back and all three catchers back.

“I feel great about where the program is and where it can go from here. Last year, we had six really good seniors that had played together since they were little, and the expectation of them being successful was there. But they got just as excited when a sophomore Colin Milligan got a big hit or freshman JP Scott came in to finish the game behind the plate or sophomore Kasen Yates came into finish as they did when a senior did something. The culture is in a place where we root for things to be done the right way and for whoever is out there to be successful.”

Scott took over for Todd Holden in June 2021, and Milan has won a district championship and reached sectionals every year since he took over.

Earlier this season, Scott picked up win No. 200 in an 11-8 victory over McMinn Central as part of the Clinch River Classic.

Scott finished up the playing career of his oldest son Gabe Scott this year, but he has a rising junior in JP Scott still on the team.

“It is funny that I have biological sons on the team, but Gabe’s group I have known since they were little,” Greg Scott said. “I coached an nine-and-10-year old all-star team with Cary (Allen Burke), Rye (Maxwell) and Gabe on it. I have coached JP’s group since about the same age. Eight of the 10 sophomores played for me when they were little at some point.

“It has been a blessing to do what I believe I am good at, and that is coach baseball and share moments like state tournaments and sectionals and district championship games with both of my boys. I told JP last night that I am still dad, and we can still go hit and get all of the baseball out of me — probably more than he wants. It is hard to be dad and coach at the same time, but also a blessing.”

Prior to coaching baseball at Milan, he coached Humboldt from 2003-09 with a 139-80 record with three district championships and region tournaments.

He has an overall record of 223-113 (.664 winning percentage) during his career.

Scott will remain as Supervisor of Federal Programs and district athletic director.