Dock Spiders Welcome Douglas Coe as New Field Manager
FOND DU LAC, WI – The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are pleased to welcome Douglas Coe as the new field manager of the club for the 2023 season. Coe will be the third field manager in Dock Spiders history.
Coe is a Fox Valley native and has been the Head Baseball Coach at Moravian University (Bethlehem, Pa.) since July 2022. The Appleton, Wis. native played in the Northwoods League in 2004 for the Wisconsin Woodchucks and in 2005 for the Eau Claire Express. He also served as a coach in 2020 and 2021 for the Rockford Rivets.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Douglas to the Dock Spiders family,” said Dock Spiders General Manager Jim Misudek. “His prior experience in the Northwoods League – as both a coach and a player – will position us well to continue to bring winning baseball to our fans in the Fond du Lac area. His local ties, familiarity with the community, and contacts throughout the college baseball world will keep the organization on the path to success.”
Prior to arriving at Moravian University, Coe served as Assistant Head Coach/Recruiting Coordinator at SUNY Cortland for two seasons where he helped the Red Dragons to a pair of trips to the NCAA Division III Regionals and a trip to the Division III Baseball Championships in 2021. He also spent three seasons on the staff at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, his alma mater. Coe’s coaching experience also includes four seasons as an assistant coach at Lawrence (Wis.) University and two seasons as Head Coach at Notre Dame Academy in Green Bay. During the summer of 2019, Coe coached professionally with the Gary Southshore RailCats in the American Association.
As a student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Coe helped the program to a fifth-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division III World Series, a third-place showing in 2007, and a trip to the NCAA Regionals in 2008. As a senior in 2008, Coe, a catcher, was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Position Player of the Year, a First Team All-American by the American Baseball Coaches Association and a Second Team All-American by D3baseball.com. He was also inducted into the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Hall of Fame in 2018.
Coe graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and coaching and earned a master’s degree in athletic administration from Ohio University in 2017. He resides in Northampton, Pa. with his wife, Marcy, and daughter, Kinsley.
“First, I want to thank President Rob Zerjav and General Manager Jim Misudek for the opportunity to lead the Dock Spiders organization into the future,” said Coe. “I also want to thank my family for always supporting me as I go after my dreams in the game of baseball. It has been a goal and dream to lead an organization in the Northwoods League and there is not a better organization than here in Fond du Lac. My goal is to bring a team of young men that will make our community proud, help develop their skills for when they go back to their schools, and win a lot of baseball games. I’m excited to come back home this summer and be a part of the Fond du Lac community.”
The 2023 Dock Spiders schedule will be released in the coming weeks.
The Fond du Lac Dock Spiders are a member of the finest developmental league for elite college baseball players, the Northwoods League. The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. Having recently its’ 29th season, the Northwoods League is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 22 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires, and front office staff, over 300 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including three-time All-Star and 2016 Roberto Clemente Award winner Curtis Granderson, three-time Cy Young Award winner and World Series Champion Max Scherzer (NYM), two-time World Series Champions Ben Zobrist and Brandon Crawford (SFG) and World Series Champion Chris Sale (BOS). As well as 2019 Rookie of the Year and 2019/2021 Home Run Derby Champion Pete Alonso (NYM) and 2021 All-Star, MLB Gold Glove winner and 2019 Second Team All-MLB shortstop Marcus Semien (TEX). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League website. League games are viewable live at watchnwl.com and on ESPN+. For more information, visit dockspiders.com or download the new Northwoods League Mobile App on the Apple App Store or on Google Play and set the Dock Spiders as your favorite team.