Former UMS-Wright baseball star Grant Barber has been hired as the new head baseball coach at Cottage Hill Christian.

Barber helped UMS to the Class 4A championship as a player and was named the AL.com Coastal Player of the Year in 2016.

“After speaking with some of the finest coaches in coastal Alabama, Grant Barber stood out within the first five minutes of the interview process,” Cottage Hill head of school Chris Brazell said. “He is hungry, excited and ready to take our program to the next level. He is motivated for this opportunity and has been a winner at the high school and collegiate level as a student-athlete.

“He knows the game, relates well with young people and understands what it takes to achieve success in our halls and on the diamond. We are blessed to have him lead our young men and look forward to his days as a Warrior.”

After graduating from UMS, Barber went on to a stellar career at Mississippi College where he earned recognition as a Gulf South All-Decade Team finalist and All-Conference selection. He spent the last three years back at UMS as an assistant football and baseball coach.

“I think it’s a great hire,” UMS baseball coach Kevin Raley said. “Grant is a heck of a coach. He did a great job for us. The kids loved him, and I don’t have to tell you what type of player he was. Grant is a winner. That is what he does. They got a good one over there.”

Barber replaces Mike Smith as Cottage Hill’s coach. The Warriors lost to Providence Christian in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs this spring.

“I’m pumped,” he said. “Obviously, I’ve wanted to do this my whole life. I feel like I’m ready, and I know Cottage Hill is the right place for me. It all happened quickly, but that’s OK. The timing lined up for both sides. I’m super excited to get going.”

Barber will be officially introduced at a Meet and Greet on July 13. His first head coaching job comes at just 26, but he said he is more than ready to go.

“I’ve been around the game my whole life,” he said. “My dad (UMS Head of school Doug Barber) was a coach obviously. Since I came to the realization pro baseball wasn’t going to work when I reached my max height of 5-foot-6, I’ve just wanted to coach.

“I tried to pay attention as a player and in these last years as an assistant to the inside part of coaching. I definitely feel like I’m ready for the challenge and ready to take a team in the direction I know I can take it and I feel like Cottage Hill is the perfect place for me.”

Barber was a four-year starter for the Bulldogs. As a senior, he hit .454 with 48 RBIs, 39 runs scored and 33 stolen bases on the way to earning Coastal Player of the Year honors. UMS was ranked No. 1 most of the year and finished the season with a sweep of Oneonta in the Class 4A title series. In four years at Mississippi College, he hit .311 with 184 hits and 88 RBIs.

Current Saraland coach Brett Boutwell coached Barber through his sophomore season at UMS. He echoed Raley’s thoughts on Barber’s potential.

“I think he has a chance to be an outstanding coach,” Boutwell said. “It all goes back to the same competitive nature he played with. That is one of his strongest attributes. One thing they will see at Cottage Hill is how well he works with kids. I noticed that just watching him as an assistant coach at UMS the last few years.

“He has that knack of being able to influence kids in a positive way. His kids will play with that same competitive fire that he played with and still has today. He’s a guy who wants to be in this profession. They got a great one.”

Barber said he wants to create a culture at Cottage Hill of being tough and doing the little things right.

“If you do that, the big things will take care of themselves,” he said. “That’s going to be our mantra all through the program. We will emphasize how we want to carry ourselves and how we want to look. All of those things seem little, but they play a big role in being successful. I want to go in and create comradery with everyone, not just the seniors and juniors.”

Barber will join the faculty as a middle school history teacher on the church campus.