MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. | Georgia College & State University Director of Athletics Wendell Staton has announced that baseball coach Nolan Belcher has stepped down  to accept the University of North Georgia head coaching position.

"From my seat - and this is not hyperbole for me - Nolan Belcher is the best combination of baseball coach and person in the country," said Staton.  "Nolan took our baseball program to even greater heights in every way possible.  However, his impact on our program and our culture is much deeper than the outstanding record.  Nolan is the culture carrier in the department.  Nolan always puts the needs of the university and department ahead of his or the baseball program.   

"His teams reflect his personality-- humble, gracious, helpful to others, never complains, friendly, family first, and on top of that, he produces results that set the bar for everyone else follow," added Staton.  "He just keeps his head down and grinds and success follows him everywhere he goes.  Our deep friendship will continue throughout our lives, but he will be greatly missed personally and professionally.  I wish Rachel and Nolan and their children all the best as they make a move that is right for their family."

Belcher completed his fifth season and led the Bobcats to a 142-108 (.568) overall record, including a 91-53 (.632) ledger in the Peach Belt Conference. During his time, the Bobcats, who won at least 18 PBC games every season, won the 2024 Peach Belt Tournament title and earned their 15th trip to the NCAA Division II Tournament. The Bobcats earned the program's first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II Southeast Super Regional in 2024. During his time in Milledgeville, 25 Bobcats have earned All-Peach Belt accolades and 22 have been named to the PBC Baseball Team of Academic Distinction. He also coached 2024 PBC Freshman of the Year Braeden Smith and 2025 PBC Pitcher of the Year Bradley Wilson.

"Serving at Georgia College & State University has been one of the greatest blessings of my career," said Belcher.  "I'm deeply thankful to Director of Athletics Wendell Staton for his leadership, trust, and support throughout my time here. He gave me my first head coaching job and I'll always be appreciative for that opportunity. I also want to say thank you to President Cathy Cox for her incredible leadership and vision for the University and the athletics department. 

"As I accept the position of head baseball coach at the University of North Georgia, I leave with a full heart, lifelong friendships, and a deep appreciation for what this community has given me," added Belcher. "I'm excited for this new chapter, but Georgia College will always be hold a special place in my heart." 

Belcher previously spent two seasons in the GCSU dugout, serving as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator for the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In Belcher's two seasons as an assistant, the Bobcats won the PBC Tournament twice, and the 2018 PBC regular-season championship with a whopping 26 conference victories, the most by any school since 1998. Belcher guided a pitching staff that set a school-record with 468 strikeouts in 2018. During the two seasons, the Bobcats had four players drafted to Major League teams, five All-Americans and two Academic All-Americans. He coached a Region Pitcher of the Year and a PBC Pitcher of the Year as well.

A native of Augusta, winning has followed Belcher in all of his baseball career. He made three consecutive trips to the College World Series with the University of South Carolina, winning back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011 and finishing runner-up the following year. Belcher logged more than 250 innings over his career with the Gamecocks, making a total of 38 starts while finishing his career with an 18-13 record and a 3.30 ERA.

Belcher's successes include three state championships in his high school days spent at Greenbrier High and Augusta Christian in Augusta.

"Our baseball program is extremely healthy as we were PBC Tournament Champions and advanced to the NCAA D2 Super Regional just a year ago,, said Staton.  "We are excited about finding the next leader for our program."

About GCSU Athletics 
Owning the top Academic Success Rate among all public colleges and universities in Division II for four consecutive academic years, the Georgia College Department of Athletics sponsors 11 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. GCSU Athletics has won five consecutive Presidents' Awards for Academic Excellence, and are two-time winners of the PBC Commissioner's Cup and four-time winners of the PBC Institution of the Year Sportsmanship Award. As a Division II program, Bobcat Athletics prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the teams' continued appearances in postseason competition as well as high-level academic success and community-service involvement. Bobcat Athletics embodies the mantra of "Graduating Champions for Life." Sign up at @GCSUBobcats on all social media outlets for up-to-the-minute reports or subscribe to the GSCU Athletics e-newsletter to receive the latest news, schedule updates and to interact with GCSU Athletics.