Longtime Spring Hill coach Paul Lamm departing to build Battle Creek baseball from scratch

The chance to build a program from scratch is an opportunity some coaches hope to do in their careers but few actually get.

Spring Hill’s Paul Lamm will have that chance next season after being hired as baseball coach at Battle Creek High School, which is set to open in Spring Hill this fall. Lamm will finish the baseball season with Spring Hill before moving on to Battle Creek.

“I mean, it was very tough, toughest decision of my professional career,” he said. “(I was a) 26-year-old kid when I took (Spring Hill) over, not that far removed from playing in college and coaching in college for a short stint. And it's crazy to think back, that was almost 20 years ago.

“Change is always hard but, we felt that it was a good move for our family. Once everything gets to that point, we'll be ready to sit down and kind of really map out how we want to attack this thing.”

Spring Hill has started the season 4-0, and upon announcing his decision to the players on Friday, he made sure everyone knew his full focus is still on this baseball season.

“It was a tough, emotional day on Friday when I let my team know . . . but until this season is over and this school year is over, I’m still the head coach of Raider baseball,” Lamm said. “And (I’m) still going to do everything I can, like I always have, and be just as passionate about it as I have been since day one. So, you know, that doesn't change.”

Lamm has been at the helm of Spring Hill baseball for 18 years, revamping a program that had been struggling until he took charge. Since his hire in 2006, the Raiders have made seven state tournament appearances, including a state championship-winning run in 2016.

Lamm was a familiar name to Battle Creek principal Mike Kinnard, a former baseball coach himself. Kinnard had coached against Lamm’s father, Gary — who coached Loretto for more than two decades — in the '90s, and he coached alongside Lamm for a short period while working at Columbia Central.

When the opportunity arose to bring on Lamm, Kinnard didn’t hesitate.

“I've just known through the years and talking with some of his players and parents who've moved on from Battle Creek Middle School to play with him or play for him, that he not only coaches the boys on how to play the game of baseball, but how to live life,” Kinnard said. “He is a good role model for the boys, puts their academics and their behaviors and their citizenship in front of baseball.”

Not only does the position give Lamm the ability to build the Battle Creek baseball program from the ground up, he’ll be able to do it with his family close by. This fall, he will have a son starting high school at Battle Creek, while his youngest son will be across the street at Battle Creek Middle School.

“And my kids' ages, they have something to do with it . . . So it was kind of a perfect storm, if you will, of opportunities and one that we just didn't feel like we could pass up. So a lot of thought, a lot of prayer, a lot of stuff went into it. And . . . we're excited. But we are in a situation where we're trying to focus on the task at hand, which is right now, Raider baseball.”

Lamm will be joined at Battle Creek by his current assistant coaches, Kenny Henderson and Justin Foster.

The school will open with freshmen and sophomores exclusively, but Lamm plans to have his team compete at the varsity level from the beginning.

Lamm is the second coaching hire made by Kinnard at Battle Creek; Donnie Chambers was hired as basketball coach.