From one small town to another, Luke Harris has lived a life of baseball dreams. Now assistant baseball coach at Piedmont College, Harris, grew up in Fairview, Michigan. Located just more than an hour west of Lake Huron his passion for sports and small towns began. 

 “I had the chance to be surrounded by people who genuinely cared about myself and the community,” Harris said.  

He was fortunate enough to play sports throughout his childhood. However, when it came to High School he focused on baseball and basketball all four years and ran track for one.  

And he did all this while maintaining a job. It was through this, playing sports and holding a job that Harris learned to work hard. To him, that was his biggest takeaway from his hometown.  

“Not having a lot of free time taught me how to manage my time which translated into college where I was playing baseball and going to school. I feel that having to juggle school, sports and a job in high school really helped prepare me for my career as well,” Harris said.  

It was after high school that Harris found his calling. He attended Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan. He was offered a chance to continue his athletic and academic career at Adrian, playing baseball and majoring in secondary social studies education. He played baseball until an injury took his senior year away from him. This led him into coaching.  

Due to his injury, Harris was able to put his foot into a new pathway as a student assistant coach at Adrian College.  

 “My original plan was to teach at a high school and coach baseball” Harris said.  

However, after his experience helping coach in college, he realized that is where he wants to be. He continued coaching at Adrian for four more years as an assistant coach.  

During his time at Adrian he met Jarred Broughton, who is a coach at Piedmont College. Over the years Harris had gained a respect for the Piedmont baseball program. When coaching against Broughton up north, they both found respect for one another. This bond that the two had opened a door for Harris when coach Broughton signed on as an assistant at Piedmont. This past year Harris had a chance to interview for Piedmont’s assistant coaching position before the start of the fall semester. “After coming for an interview, I knew that this was a program that wins at a very high level and that was something I wanted to be a part of,” he said. 

Harris has become a huge addition to the Lions coaching staff. He focuses working with the catchers and is also the strength and conditioning coach for the Lions. Harris said that coaching has taught him a little in every aspect of life. 

 “The biggest thing I’ve learned is how much to value relationships I’ve built with teammates, other coaches, and also players that I’ve coached. At the end of the day, winning baseball games is the goal, but I think the relationships I’ve built throughout coaching far outweigh the wins and losses,” Harris said. 

From a coaching standpoint Harris values his relationships above all. He seems to of found a new home in this small town.