Josh Keim was hired as the 18th head baseball coach in program history in July of 2024. Keim makes his return to Saint Leo following four seasons as the head coach at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois.Â
During his stint with the Braves, Keim achieved a 161-71 record, leading the team to four consecutive NJCAA Region 4 Division II Sectional Championships and Tournament appearances. Black Hawk tied the program record for wins in a season with 45 in 2024 and the second most wins in a season with 44 in 2023 with Keim at the helm. Keim's leadership produced 14 all-region honorees, including two-time All-American Payton Lawrence, with the team consistently ranked in the top 10 nationally.
Keim also led Black Hawk to three Arrowhead Athletic Conference Championships and earned academic honors, including the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Academic Excellence Award in 2023 and NJCAA Academic Team of the Year in 2022. The team maintained a GPA of 3.08 or higher each year under his leadership.
While at Black Hawk College, Keim managed compliance, eligibility, and academic support for student-athletes and served as Arrowhead Athletic Conference Chairperson. Before that, he was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Saint Leo in 2020 before the season was cut short by the pandemic. From 2016 to 2019, Keim was an assistant coach at Quincy University, leading the Hawks to a 149-79 record, four NCAA Tournament appearances, and a trip to the 2017 College World Series.
As a player, Keim spent two seasons with the Black Hawk College Braves (2011-2012) before transferring to Illinois State and then finishing his collegiate career at Saint Joseph's (Ind.) under former Saint Leo coach Rick O'Dette. He was a two-way player, pitching and playing infield, helping the Braves achieve top-five national rankings and records of 44-9 and 45-10, along with consecutive Arrowhead Athletic Conference and sectional championships, and NJCAA Region 4 Tournament appearances. At Saint Joseph's, Keim recorded over 100 hits in two seasons and was named a First Team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference infielder.
Keim is a Quad-Cities native and graduated from Rock Island High School while he earned an associate degree at Black Hawk. He completed a bachelor's degree in sports management at Saint Joseph's and obtained a master's degree in leadership education at Quincy University.
Keim's wife, Abby is no stranger to Saint Leo as she served as an Assistant Volleyball Coach in 2019, a season that saw the Lions Volleyball squad advance to the NCAA National Quarterfinals after winning to-date the programs' only South Regional title.Â
