The Durango Demons hired Austin Anderson as their next baseball coach.
Anderson previously served as an assistant coach for the Demons under now-former skipper Rob Coddington.
Coddington stepped down this past summer to spend more time with his family.
Anderson, a Westminster native, attended Mountain Range High School where he was a three-sport athlete in football, wrestling and baseball.
Following graduation, he played baseball at Otero Junior College in La Junta. He later transferred to Fort Lewis College and played football for the Skyhawks. Anderson was hired at Durango High School in 2022 as an Educational Support Services teacher.
“I’m here for the players first and foremost,” Anderson said. “I’m a young coach. This is my first head coaching job, but I am beyond eager for the season to start. I cannot wait for the snow to melt and to get on the diamond. I’m here to grow and learn throughout the process.”
Describing himself as “personable and relationship-based,” Anderson hopes to bring more excitement surrounding the baseball program back to Durango.
“Coach Anderson works incredibly well with our students in the school and with our players,” Ryan Knorr, District Athletic Director for Durango 9R, said. “He’s committed to bringing energy every day and being there for our students to grow on the diamond and as future community leaders. We will miss coach Coddington in the Spring, but we are confident the program is in strong hands with a great vision of where it can go from here.”
Anderson said he understands how the game has changed and developed over time, but still values doing the small things “perfectly” on the baseball field.
“I believe that good teams play catch well and do not make a lot of errors defensively,” he said. “I bring a deep passion and love for the sport of baseball. This passion is contagious and it spreads to the players helping to create a strong team culture and a sense of camaraderie. I hope to bring discipline and accountability to the program, holding my players to high standards both on and off the field.”
