Apollo High School alumnus Brandon Dennis has been hired as the next head coach for the Eagles baseball team. The move comes after Mason Head accepted an assistant principal position for AHS that keeps him from coaching.
The Eagles made the announcement Friday, letting the community know of the changes via Facebook.
“On behalf of Apollo baseball, we would like to congratulate Coach Mason Head on his new role as assistant principal and thank him for his time and dedication to the program,” the Facebook post reads. “At this time, we would also like to welcome Coach Brandon Dennis. Coach Dennis is an Apollo alumni and is excited to come back home to help continue the excellence that goes into the program. The future is bright— Go Eagles!”
Head took over Apollo baseball in 2019, helping coach the Eagles to a 59-40 overall record during his tenure. Dennis will have big shoes to fill, but he is no stranger to the 3rd Region.
“It is such an incredible honor to have the opportunity to coach baseball at Apollo,” Dennis said. “I am so proud to be a graduate of Apollo and to have had the opportunity to learn the game of baseball from Coach (Bob) Mantooth, so I struggle to put into words how lucky I feel to have the chance to go back in this capacity.”
Dennis was a player and graduate of Apollo High School, then started his coaching career as an assistant at Daviess County High School in 2002. He became the head coach of the Panthers in 2009, leading them to three 9th District Championships, two 3rd Region Championships and a 203-160 overall record.
Apollo loses four seniors from its 2022 roster, but will have a number of returnees—with multiple assistant coaches returning as well—that Dennis said he is excited about.
“I know that we have a very talented, dedicated group of players coming back, and we have a group of outstanding coaches who are coming back to coach them,” Dennis said. “We are in position to be very successful heading into the 2023 season and beyond.”
Dennis said that he will preach the little things as a core part of the program’s values for the future, stating that Eagles baseball will be known for its hard work to help them compete for championships in the district and region and give them skills they can use in the future.
“The pillars of our program will be a focus on fundamentals, hard work, respect/loyalty, and discipline,” Dennis said. “The end of the playing career comes for every player, but there isn’t a person alive who isn’t better off for working hard, displaying respect and loyalty and being disciplined. That is our goal. To be successful in the short term while also giving our guys skills that will serve them for years to come.”
