Brothers unite
- Updated: May 19, 2017
UPDATED: David Deerman leaves Jacksonville baseball after more than 20 years to join younger brother Matt at Piedmont
By Al Muskewitz
East Alabama Sports Today
In one of his first games in charge of his own program, Matt Deerman got to match wits with his older brother David for the first time with them both being head varsity coaches. It was a special experience.
David got the best of it that day, but Matt got a little revenge later in the year in the Calhoun County Tournament.
There will be none of that angst anymore. In the first game next season, and many games after that, they will be coaching with each other on the same staff for the first time.
David Deerman resigned as the longtime head baseball coach at Jacksonville Friday morning to join brother Matt at Piedmont High School. The older Deerman was approved by the Piedmont board Thursday night.
“It’s something we’ve talked about at times,” Matt Deerman said. “We’re both super excited to be on the same side.
“Every time we played it’s been a weird time; it’s not fun. (Coaching together) is something we’ve dreamed about. We’re super excited.”
David Deerman has been a fixture in the Golden Eagles’ dugout. In more than 20 years as a their head coach, his teams have won more than 250 games.
Earlier this spring he was named as a co-head coach of the North squad in the summertime North-South All-Star Game in Montgomery. This change of address will not impact his status for that game.
“I’m excited,” David Deerman said. “I get to work with a great administration, I get to work with some great coaches and I get to work with my brother. I didn’t have thoughts of leaving. My plan was to stay there and retire; everything just kind of fell into place.
“I wouldn’t just go be an assistant for anybody. I’ve been a head coach in some form or fashion for 22 years. From the knowledge I’ve had the opportunity to gain, I would rather give it to Matt than anybody.”
Matt Deerman got his first head coaching job this year when he took over the Bulldogs for James Blanchard after six years as an assistant. He guided them into the Class 3A state championship series earlier this week where they lost to Gordo in two games.
David was there in Riverwalk Stadium to support his brother and was impressed with the outpouring of community support shown by the Piedmont faithful for their boys.
Even though the brothers were coaching at separate schools, they talked baseball and their teams just about every day on their way to work.
“He’s a huge addition for our program,” Matt Deerman said. “To pick up a guy with 23 years coaching experience, that’s something you don’t get to experience all the time.”
In spite of all the older brother’s experience, make no mistake who is running this show.
“I told him after 37 years of big brother bullying, now I’m the boss,” Matt said.
No problem.
“He’s right; he is the boss, whatever he says goes,” David said. “I’m 100 percent behind him. I’m glad he gets to make all the big decisions. I just want to be able to pin my ears back and coach.”
It wasn’t immediately known how Jacksonville planned to replace Deerman but a likely scenario is to elevate assistant David Clark to head coach. Clark also is the Golden Eagles’ volleyball coach and athletics director.
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