Demorest, GA – Piedmont College Head Baseball Coach Jim Peeples has been named the new Athletic Director at the college, taking over from John Dzik, who announced in January that he would retire June 30 after 10 years in the AD position.
Peeples, now in his 14th year as coach, also serves as Associate Athletic Director for Facilities. He will begin his new role as Athletic Director on July 1 and will continue as baseball coach.
President James F. Mellichamp said he was “thrilled to have someone within Piedmont College who has the talent and leadership to move into the position. That means there shouldn’t be an opportunity for any lost momentum. Jim is well respected and highly regarded by everybody here as well as in our athletic conference and will do a great job for us.”
Peeples in turn said he wanted to emphasize “what a great job John Dzik has done in the last 10 years. I want to thank him for being a fantastic mentor.”
During Dzik’s decade as director, the athletic department has grown from 195 athletes in 11 programs to more than 300 student athletes on 15 athletic teams. The period was also one of the most successful in Piedmont athletics history, with teams winning more than 20 conference titles and making 16 NCAA National Tournament appearances. The program also collected four President’s Cup titles, presented each year to the most successful overall athletics program in the conference.
Peeples has been responsible for a large part of that success, posting a 316-262 record for a .547 winning percentage during his first 13 years as head baseball coach. As the new AD, he will be responsible for all Piedmont sports teams, which compete in the USA South Conference of NCAA Division III. In addition to baseball, the college currently fields teams in men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, lacrosse, golf, soccer, and tennis, as well as women’s volleyball. This year the program began organizing for men’s and women’s track as well.
Peeples and his wife, Laura, live in Demorest and have two daughters, Taylor, a recent Piedmont graduate, and Ashley, who is currently in high school and attends joint enrollment classes at the college.
