Carl Junction High School has named Dr. Phillip Cook as their new head baseball coach for the 2023 season.
Cook will be adding these coaching duties to his current role as Superintendent of Schools.
“Coach Cook is a part of the history of this program, and now he will be part of the future,” said Carl Junction Athletic Director Rich Neria in a press release on Friday. “I know that he loves Carl Junction, the kids, and I know he loves baseball. Our team and the individual players saw a lot of success when he was coaching. We are looking forward to the future with him leading our baseball program on the field.”
Cook played high school baseball at Baxter Springs High School under Don Karnes. He began his college career at Allen County Community College under Coach Val McLean and transferred to Pittsburg State when they started their program in 1991 under Coach Steve Bever. Cook was a team captain at PSU for two years.
Following graduation, Cook taught social studies and coached baseball at Fairland, Oklahoma, for five years before coming to Carl Junction in 1997. He finished his baseball coaching career three years later as his 2000 team played in the state championship game. From there, Cook took a promotion to high school assistant principal. Two years later, he made a move to the District Office as the Assistant Superintendent, and in 2005, he became Superintendent of Schools at Carl Junction.
Cook’s overall coaching record stands at 160-64, with seven out of eight district championships.
Cook will be replacing Jake Stevenson as the Bulldogs’ coach for the 2023 season. Stevenson is following a similar path as he will now be an assistant principal at the intermediate school.
“I am so proud of Jake,” said Cook in the release. “He has been a great role model for our students on the field and as a teacher in the Kindergarten – 1st Grade Building. As he steps into this next role, he will have an opportunity to continue his influence with more students. He has the leadership qualities that you look for in education leadership. He is smart and cares deeply for students and his fellow educators. I can see Jake as a superintendent in Carl Junction one day.”
“I played at Carl Junction and was fortunate to make my way back to coach here,” Stevenson said in the release. “Joining the leadership in CJ has been my goal, and when the position at Intermediate Building became available, I knew that is where I was supposed to be. I’m looking forward to watching the next steps for Bulldog baseball. We have a baseball tradition and culture that has been a part of this program for a long time. Coach Cook helped build this program and will keep it strong for the years to come.”
“Baseball has always been a part of my life,” Cook said in the release. “I have missed being involved with kids at this level. As I look at my former players today, I am so proud of them. They were not only winners on the field, but they have become winners in life. Athletics is such an important part of education. I’m looking forward to influencing kids in another way.”
