Griffin to coach Mohawks in 2009
AMSTERDAM - Keith Griffin, the head coach of Okaloosa-Walton junior college in Florida from 2002-08, was named Amsterdam's seventh head coach in as many years.
His six-year record at OW was 192-113 (.652 percent). During Griffin's time as coach more than 100 players had signed scholarships, 36 of those signed professional contracts, and nine played professionally. Griffin was an assistant coach for the Raiders from 1992-96, and prior to returning to OW was head coach at Jefferson Davis Community College (Brewton, Ala.) for six seasons.
Coach Griffin's 1998 squad at JDCC captured the NJCAA II National Championship. Griffin amassed an overall record of 251-94 (.728) during his six-year stint at JDCC. He garnered five Southern Conference "Coach of the Year" awards and AJCCC "Coach of the Year" awards in 1998 and 2000. During Griffin's tenure at JDCC, he produced 36 all-conference players, 10 all-region, two NJCAA All-Americans, and five NJCAA Academic All-Americans. Under Griffin's tutelage, 58 players signed four-year scholarships and 19 received professional contracts.
"Keith is one of the more well-known and highly-respected junior college coaches in America. Gary Henderson, the head coach of Kentucky called us earlier this fall and recommended Keith, so obviuosly we were immediately interested in him. His credentials and contacts throughout college baseball will hopefully progress the Mohawks even further," Mohawks general manager Brian Spagnola said of Griffin.
Griffin began his coaching career at Pine Forest High School in Pensacola (1980-90/overall record 217-83), with a stop at Jacksonville University (1990-92) as an assistant coach (JU competed in the NCAA Regional at the University of Florida in '91), before coming to OW as an assistant in 1992. During that stint as top recruiter at Okaloosa-Walton, 42 players signed four-year scholarships and 11 received professional contracts. Four of those players are playing in the major leagues.
Griffin was born Jan. 11, 1955, in Guntersville, Ala., but grew up in Gadsden, Ala. Griffin is a graduate of Livingston University in Alabama (1978) and holds a master's degree from the University of North Alabama (1980).
