Derek Carlson ’91 was announced as the new head coach of the men’s baseball team on Friday, succeeding Pete Varney and becoming the ninth baseball coach in university history. 

Varney retired at the end of June following a 34-year career as head coach that included an astounding 700 career wins, 12 NCAA Tournament berths, one trip to the NCAA Division III World Series and one Eastern College Athletic Conference Tournament title.

Carlson joins the Judges on the heels of 13 years as the head coach of the Roger Williams University baseball team, where he earned an ECAC title and was named Commonwealth Coast Conference Coach of the Year four times, including following the 2014 season.

Carlson compiled a 261-267-7 record during the course of his coaching tenure at Roger Williams but holds a 131-100 record in conference play against CCC opponents. In the 2015 season, Roger Williams entered the conference tournament as the No. 5 seed and upset the top three squads at the tournament en route to the CCC Championship Game. 

Carlson also coached the Roger Williams squad to a school-record 38 victories in the 2008 season, a year in which one player was named to the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All New England 3rd Team, one was named to the CCC All Conference 1st Team and two were named to the CCC All Conference 2nd Team.

Prior to coaching at Roger Williams, Carlson was an assistant coach at Wheaton College for six seasons. There, Carlson served as the recruiting coordinator and helped lead the team to three NCAA Tournament berths. 

During his tenure Carlson was also the head coach of the New England Mariners AAU baseball club based in Danvers, MA.

Carlson began his coaching career as an assistant to Varney in 1991 and remained with the Judges through the 1996 season. 

While an assistant at Brandeis, he was also an instructor at the Mo Vaughn Baseball Camp, the Four Seasons baseball camp and the Pete Varney baseball camp. 

Varney announced his retirement at the end of June following a season during which he earned his 700th career victory as head coach. Only three other Division III coaches have accomplished that feat, and Varney ends his coaching career with a standout 705-528-6 record.

Varney mentored the Judges only professional player who made a Major League Baseball Roster, pitcher Nelson Figueroa ’98, and had more than 50 players named to the Division III All New England teams and 100 All University Athletic Association team members. Varney also coached four UAA Players of the Year and six UAA Rookies of the Year.

Carlson was a career .313 hitter under Varney, starting all four years behind the plate. 

He was named to the All UAA team three times and was invited to the prestigious Cape Cod League after his junior season. 

“This is an honor and a privilege,” Carlson said in a press release. “I learned so much under coach Varney, both on and off the field. I’ve seen the kind of players that he has brought in from the opposing dugout, and I am looking forward to working with them myself.” 

Last year, the Judges finished with a record of  13-20 and 2-6 in UAA  conference contests.