Former MLB outfielder Austin Kearns named head baseball coach at West Jessamine

August 13, 2005; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Austin Kearns #28 of the Cincinnati Reds walks from the batting cage during batting practice before the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Austin Kearns is one of the best baseball prospects to ever come out of the Bluegrass. The Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette product was drafted by the Cincinnati Reds with the seventh overall pick in the 1998 MLB Draft. Kearns would go on to spend 12 seasons in the big leagues before hanging up his spikes in 2013.

Now the 45-year-old is returning to the diamond. Nicholasville (Ky.) West Jessamine has named Austin Kearns as the new leader of the baseball program.

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— WJHS Athletics (@WJ_Athletics) June 23, 2025

“When it came open, it seemed the right time as far as where we were at with the age of our kids and where they’re at as well,” Kearns told the Lexington Herald Leader. “Like you’re always trying to balance the family and the coaching aspect.”

“Experience is usually the best teacher. So whether I’m too old for them to understand (my career), just being through it and understanding that it’s not going to be perfect, nothing’s going to be easy. The sooner they understand that — you got to embrace it, adversity and challenges and meet those head on — the better off these kids will be.”

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Austin Kearns finished his professional baseball career slashing .253/.351/.413 with 121 home runs and 494 RBI in 1,125 career games played. The Bluegrass native played for the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals, Cleveland Indians, and Miami Marlins during his professional career. Now he’ll look to lead the Colts to baseball glory in the KHSAA.

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