THIBODAUX, La. — Friday morning, Nicholls State University head baseball coach Seth Thibodeaux announced the promotion of Zach Butler to the program’s top assistant and Ford Pemberton to the hitting coach, pending approval from the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Further, the Colonels’ skipper introduced three new additions to the staff, including Tyler Cook as the new Assistant Coach/Camp Coordinator, Adam Chamblee as the Director of Player Development and former athlete Grant Borne as an Undergraduate Student Assistant.
Entering his seventh season with the the Red & Gray, Butler will maintain his title as pitching coach as he takes over the top assistant duties while Pemberton, now a three-year veteran at Nicholls, will handle catchers/base-running as well as serve as the program’s academic liaison.
“Coach Butler and Coach Pemberton are both extremely hardworking and exceptionally loyal,” Thibodeaux said. “They are well-respected by our players and their peers in this profession, and they are exact fits for what we’re looking for at Nicholls. Both promotions were a no-brainer and it’s been an easy transition getting them into those roles, and I know our players are tremendously excited to have those two leading them.”
Cook joins the Colonels after a four-year stint as an assistant coach at his alma mater, USC Upstate, where he managed both hitting and recruiting for the Spartans. During the 2015 season, the Bloomington, Ill. native worked as a volunteer assistant at Eastern Kentucky, instructing players on hitting and outfield defense while building out scouting reports for the coaching staff. Previously, Cook earned his Master’s Degree in Sports Administration from Belmont, serving the 2014 season as the baseball operations assistant. He graduated from USC Upstate in 2012 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management & Economics, starting three seasons on the diamond and finishing his collegiate career ranked Top 20 in school history for hits, at-bats, games played and games started.
“We’re fortunate to add someone who’s been a top assistant at this level already,” Thibodeaux continued. “Coach Cook served as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at USC Upstate — his alma mater — and he’s a good fit here at Nicholls because he’s like us. He’s blue collar, hardworking and he understands how to evaluate players and team offense in general. It was all about a fit with our players and this program, and I felt that when I approached him. I wanted someone who can talk with our players in a professional way and help make them better, and I’m excited to add him to our staff.”
Chamblee takes over the Director of Player Development role after spending the 2019 season as a volunteer assistant at Meridian Community College. Prior his short stint with the Eagles, the Winona, Miss. native served two seasons as a graduate assistant at West Georgia. Chamblee received his his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from West Alabama in 2016, starting four years for the Tigers as an outfielder.
“Having a position solely devoted to player development is not just important from a baseball perspective, but on the personal level as well,” Thibodeaux added. “Coach Chamblee can help academically and socially, and he can recognize things that coaches who are a bit older have difficulty recognizing right away. He can bridge the gap with the youth, and that goes beyond baseball purposes. There’s more to developing a student-athlete than their performance on the field, and the role I want him to fill can act as that person players can feel comfortable coming to and utilizing as a resource.”
