MILLIGAN COLLEGE, TN (August 22, 2005) --- Bernie Young has been named the new Baseball coach at Milligan College. Milligan President, Dr. Don Jeanes made the announcement at a Monday afternoon press conference at Milligan. 

The Buffaloes finished 2005 with a 30-23 record which included a 17-6 Appalachian Athletic Conference record. Milligan finished second in the AAC regular season and a runner-up finish in the NAIA Region XII Baseball tournament.

Young returns to Milligan after spending the 2004 season as an assistant coach for the Buffaloes. His head coaching jobs include Bristol (Tenn.) College from 1982-1985, Happy Valley High School (Elizabethton, Tenn.) from 1990-1997 and Science Hill High School (Johnson City, Tenn.) from 1997-2003.

Bernie led Science Hill to a TSSAA State AAA Championship in 1998, as he was awarded the Upper East Tennessee Coach of the Year, Tennessee Baseball Sports Writers Class AAA Coach of the Year and the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Class AAA Coach of the Year. He won the Tennessee Baseball Coaches Association Class AAA Coach of the Year again in 2000.

An accomplished baseball player himself, Bernie, played at Montreat-Anderson (N.C.) College before transferring to Liberty (Va.) University. He was an All-State selection in baseball two consecutive years while in high school. After playing at Liberty, he was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 1979. Young is also an Associate Scout for the Atlanta Braves.

"This is something that I've really been looking forward to for two years," Bernie Young said shortly after the announcement. "It's something that I've been praying about, and I think God has led me to Milligan College. I think this is a tremendous, tremendous opportunity."

“I told Dean (Mark) Fox and Dr. (Don) Jeanes in the interview that I see myself passing away here out on the baseball field," Young said. "I hope it's when I'm about 80. I see myself staying here for a long, long time. I've always said this would be a place where I could retire at."

"Really, it's a bonus that I already know about 20 of the players," Young added. "I got to know a lot of them when I coached here a couple of years ago."

"We feel like he's a highly qualified baseball professional, a highly qualified teacher and a Christian who will lead our baseball team into reaching a new standard of excellence," Milligan dean of students Mark Fox said.

"We think he'll be a valuable addition to our Milligan College coaching staff," said Milligan president Don Jeanes.

Young holds a M.Ed. from Lincoln Memorial University in Educational Administration & Supervision. Bernie and his wife Wanda live in Johnson City. Bernie is the father of Kristen Young and Kayla Alford both of Johnson City along with step-son Mark Davis from Johnson City.