Graham Sikes - Baseball Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Graham Sikes

Title:
Volunteer Assistant Coach

Graham Sikes spent his first year with the JMU Diamond Dukes in 2007 after being hired in August, 2006. He was elevated to the second assistant position following his first season. He has already built an impressive baseball resume in his brief time working in the game. Prior to JMU, Sikes worked as an Associate Scout for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the spring and summer of 2006.

Prior to that, he was an assistant coach for Young Harris College in Georgia in the fall of 2005 and spring of 2006. While there, he helped the Mountain Lions pile up 48 wins as the team finished the 2006 season ranked eighth among National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) squads. The team also won the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association championship. Sikes worked closely with hitters and catchers at YHC and coordinated the college’s recruiting efforts.

Sikes started his coaching career in the fall of 2004 when he was named the assistant coach for Independence Community College in Kansas. While there, he worked primarily with the team’s hitters, catchers, and outfielders.

After one season at Independence, Sikes earned an assistant position at Nicholls State University in the fall of 2004. While in Louisiana, he worked exclusively with the catchers and assisted with the hitters. Among his accomplishments was aiding one of the team’s players, John Brummet, as he transitioned from third base to catcher. Brummet’s switch helped lead him to a professional contract with the Oakland Athletics’ organization.

Sikes went on in the summer of 2005 to work with the Florence Red Wolves of the Coastal Plains League, a summer collegiate wooden bat league based in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. He was promoted to associate head coach of the Red Wolves for the summer 2007 season.

As a Collegiate player, Sikes was a four-year letterman for Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. He helped lead the Flames to two Big South Conference championships and two NCAA Regional appearances. Playing as a catcher, Sikes threw out over 50% of stolen base attempts and started behind the plate for the team’s win over Seton Hall in the South Atlantic Regional, marking the school’s first NCAA victory in any sport.

Sikes earned his bachelor of science in health and physical education from Liberty in 2002. He went on to earn a master’s degree in health and physical education from Emporia State University in 2006.