Hall of Fame Spotlight: Mike Coombs
Coach Coombs took over as field manager four games into the 2005 season and the rest is history. The ever-colorful Coach Coombs has an
extensive background in baseball, playing as a catcher and outfielder for Seminole Community College, in the Shenandoah Valley Collegiate
League and professionally for the Detroit Tigers organization. He has coached at the high school, collegiate and professional levels, including as a pitching coach with the University of South Florida and the Milwaukee Brewers organization. A former player for Florida Southern College, later as a coach with the team, Coombs won the national championship in 1981 and 1985. As the Field Manager and Head Coach of the Newport Gulls, he owns a career regular-season record of 329-176 and owns a 44-17 all-time postseason record giving him an NECBL best 373-193 overall win-loss record in league history. Coombs guided the Gulls to four NECBL titles (2005, 2009, 2012 and 2014), 8 regular season division championships, and 7 division championships during his tenure. Under Coombs, the Newport Gulls became the winningest franchise in league history, and in 2012 were ranked as the overall No. 1 summer collegiate team nationally by Perfect Game USA. Coach Coombs managed seven (7) NECBL All-Star Games and received NECBL Head Coach of the Year honors in both 2006 and 2009. Coach Coombs resides in Lakeland, Florida with his wife Kate.
