WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University Baseball and Head Coach Dean Ehehalt have announced the hiring of former Hawk Kyle Norman to the coaching staff as an assistant coach. Norman, a 2019 graduate of MU, has made coaching stops at NJIT and Bucknell previously.
 
"I am very excited to get Kyle back to West Long Branch," said Ehehalt. "Kyle is an outstanding individual and has been around a lot of good baseball people. Kyle has had success at both programs he has previously coached at. He will have an immediate impact on our program."
 
Norman spent the 2022 season as an assistant at Bucknell, where the Bison doubled their win total from 2021. The Bison offense improved in batting average by over 30 points, hitting .284 as a group led by All-Patriot First Teamer Chris Cannizzaro, who hit .329 with six home runs. All told, five Bucknell regulars hit over .300 en route to a 14-11 conference mark. Four Bucknell players were Second Team All-Patriot League choices under Norman's watch. In 2021 at NJIT, the Highlanders won the America East and advanced to the NCAA Tournament with Norman on staff, ultimately winning a game in the NCAA Fayetteville Regional. NJIT set a program record with 61 stolen bases with Norman working alongside the baserunners.
 
"Beyond excited to be back and coach at the school I fell in love with as a player," said Norman. "Can't wait to get started working with the program as we move into the CAA.
 
A two-year starter in the outfield as a student-athlete at Monmouth, Norman was an All-MAAC recipient in 2018 after hitting .298 with a team-best 12 doubles. He helped lead the Hawks to a MAAC regular season title, starting 52 games as a redshirt junior, as he ultimately picked up a walk-off single in the conference tournament to knock off Siena. As a senior, Norman started every game as a senior in 2019, hitting .275 with 16 stolen bases and nine doubles.
 
Norman returns to Monmouth to join a program poised to join the CAA this spring. He will inherit three offensive players that were named all-league a season ago, including James Harmstead, who broke the program's single-season home run mark. Also returning are Alex Barker (Second Team) and Jay Bant (Rookie Team).