Alan Beck was the associate head coach for the Eagles in 2022. He was responsible for tutoring the Eagle hitters and working with the outfielders.
In 2022, Coach Beck saw the Eagles’ offense have another strong offensive year, boasting a .296 team batting average, which led the Sun Belt Conference and was ranked 48th-nationally. Georgia Southern would score 441 runs, third-most in the SBC, and would lead the conference in hits with 615. The Eagles would achieve a 40+ win season for the first time ever under Coach Beck’s guidance and coaching. Beck coached the RBI-leader in the conference, Noah Ledford, who ended the season with 70 RBI. Ledford and Jesse Sherrill were both tied for fourth in the SBC for hits on the season. Georgia Southern would go on to finish second in the SBC and advance to their sixth SBC Championship game.
In 2021, Coach Beck helped the Eagles achieve a 34-23 mark, which was the 49th season in program history with 30 or more wins. The Eagles boasted a batting average of .286, which included players such as Mason McWhorter hitting .372 and Christian Avant hitting .358. Georgia Southern would go on to finish second in the Sun Belt East Division and advance to the Sun Belt Championship for the fourth time in five seasons. Under Beck’s guidance, Mason McWhorter broke the school record for doubles in a single season, as well as posting the first cycle in program history since 2011. Along with those accolades, the Eagles led the conference in batting average and had two players lead the Sun Belt in hits (Mason McWhorter, 84, Christian Avant, 78). McWhorter also led the conference in home runs and total bases while both he and Avant led the individual batting average for the league as well.
The 2019 Eagles had an offensive surge, scoring 400 runs in 59 games, while hitting .280 as a team. Steven Curry won the Sun Belt regular season hitting crown, leading the squad to a 35-24 overall record and the program’s first Sun Belt East Division Championship. The Eagles made it to the Sun Belt Championship game for the third time in four seasons. The Eagles were much more selective at the plate in 2019, adding 43 walks while cutting their strikeout total by 15%.
In 2018 Coach Beck helped the Eagles to a 30-26 overall record, marking the 18th time the program has reached the 30-wins mark in the last 19 seasons. Under Beck's tutelage, the Eagle offense provided a balanced attack which saw 10 different players hit home runs and every player who started 15 or more games hit above the Mendoza line.
The 2017 campaign saw an Eagle offense that delivered timely hitting to post a 38-21 record and the program's second-straight trip to the Sun Belt Championship Game. The Eagles hit four home runs in the Sun Belt Tournament including a grand slam by Logan Baldwin in the ninth inning against Louisiana's closer that put the Eagles on top late.
Following the 2017 season, two Eagle hitters were selected in the MLB draft with Jordan Wren (Boston) and Logan Baldwin (San Francisco) getting the call. In full, five Eagles were drafted in 2017, matching the 1996 class for largest in school history.
In his first year with the Eagles, he helped instill a new mentality with the hitters which resulted in a 12% reduction in strikeouts in 2016. The Eagles played small ball, laying down 75 sacrifice bunts while wearing 93 pitches. With that total the Eagles led the Sun Belt and ranked sixth in the nation in hit by pitches. The Eagle offense produced a 20% increase in scoring while going 23-2 when scoring six or more runs. The Eagles went 36-24 in 2016, engineering a run through the Sun Belt Tournament that saw the Eagles reach the Championship Game.
At Western Carolina, Beck helped the Catamounts through an era of dominance in the Southern Conference which included regular season championships in 2013 and 2014. Over his seven years he worked with six All-Americans, 31 All-SoCon Selections and had 14 players drafted including 12 who were drafted for the first time as collegiate upperclassmen.
In 2013 the Catamounts had one of the nation’s most prolific offenses as Western Carolina led the nation in home runs per game, ranked third in slugging percentage and ninth in scoring. The team went 23-7 in league play to set a school record and led the league in batting average. Over a three-year span (2011-13) the Catamounts were ranked in the top-50 of every major offensive category.
On the recruiting trail, Beck has become adept at finding talent, bringing in some of the Catamounts biggest stars, including: Jacob Hoyle (Freshman All-American, All-SoCon), Tyler White (All-American, SoCon Player of the Year) and Bradley Strong (All-American, All-SoCon). Additionally, Beck also worked with Ross Heffley who was named SoCon Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American in 2009.
Beck returned to Western Carolina in 2008 after having served as the first-ever Director of Baseball Operations under former Catamount skipper, Todd Raleigh, at the University of Tennessee. His primary responsibilities at Tennessee included managing all baseball camps, oversight of student managers, serving as an academic liaison and assistance with on-campus recruiting.
Prior to joining the staff at UT, Beck spent the 2007 season as an assistant coach at Young Harris Junior College in Young Harris, Ga. While coaching hitters and infielders, Beck mentored a club that led all Georgia junior colleges in 10 different offensive statistical categories. The 2007 Mountain Lions won the Region XVII regular season and tournament titles, in addition to claiming the district championship. Beck’s lone season at YHC was highlighted by the school’s first all-time appearance in the Junior College World Series.
Beck ended his four-year career as one of the most outstanding players in both Western Carolina and Southern Conference history. The three-time All-SoCon selection (including a pair of first-team honors) ranks on both the school and league career top-10 lists in several statistical categories. He currently ranks third in career runs (216), third in career RBI (222), third in career total bases (488), fifth in career hits (285), fifth in career doubles (60), sixth in career walks (132) and seventh in career home runs (45), while posting a career .341 batting average.
Those numbers additionally ranked on the SoCon all-time lists as he ended his career ranked fourth in RBIs, fifth in total bases, fifth in walks, fifth in runs scored, eighth in hits, eighth in doubles, eighth in at bats, ninth in home runs and 11th in games played (220).
En route to winning SoCon Player of the Year honors in 2003, Beck led the SoCon in home runs (18), RBIs (71), runs scored (67) and walks (45), while ranking 30th in the NCAA in homers and tallying seven assists from left field. He was named to the TIAA/CREF Southern Conference All-Academic Team for Spring Sports, was a two-time Southern Conference Player of the Week honoree and was selected second team All-Atlantic Region by the American Baseball Coaches Association.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Beck in the 16th round (464th overall pick) of the 2003 MLB draft, and he played for the Bluefield Orioles and Class A short-season Aberdeen IronBirds in 2003 before attending spring training in 2004. His professional career was cut short, however, after he suffered a severe wrist injury.
It was following his injury that Beck returned to his alma mater in 2005 as a member of the Catamounts coaching staff, working with the outfielders. He helped mentor outfielder Steven Strausbaugh to 2005 SoCon Freshman of the Year honors. The following year, Strausbaugh led the SoCon in home runs and RBIs and was tabbed first-team All-SoCon and was eventually drafted in the 37th round of the 2007 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.
In the summer of 2006, Beck served as manager of the Thomasville Hi-Toms of the Coastal Plains League. Under his direction, the HiToms not only won a then franchise-record 33 regular-season games, but also the club’s first-ever league championship. The team finished with an impressive overall record of 37-23, leading the Coastal Plain League in hits, doubles, home runs and total bases.
Beck completed his undergraduate degree in 2004, receiving his B.S. in Sport Management. He later attained his Master’s degree during his two-year coaching stint at WCU, earning an M.A. in Education in 2006.
Beck and his wife Kim have two sons, Easton and Eli.
