Former QU assistant baseball coach becomes head skipper at NCAA Division II Saint Leo

SAINT LEO, Fla. — Josh Keim is climbing the coaching ladder.

After four highly successful seasons at Black Hawk College in Moline, Ill., the former Quincy University assistant baseball coach was named the head coach at NCAA Division II Saint Leo University on Friday, replacing Rick O’Dette, who resigned June 13.

Keim played for O’Dette at Saint Joseph’s College in 2014 and ’15 and later spent one season as an assistant coach at Saint Leo under O’Dette.

“I look forward to the challenge of continuing to build on the tradition of Lions baseball and cannot wait to get to campus and be a part of the Saint Leo community again,” Keim said in a press release.

Prior to his one-year stint at Saint Leo, Keim was an assistant coach at Quincy from 2016-19 when the Hawks went 149-79 with four NCAA Tournament appearances and a D-II World Series appearance in 2017. It’s also where he met his wife, former QU volleyball coach Abigail Moser.

“I also want to thank my wife and family for believing in me and supporting our journey in this profession and our return to Florida,” Keim said. “I look forward to reconnecting with alumni and building on the tradition at such a special place.”

Keim compiled a 161-71 record at Black Hawk, guiding the Braves to four consecutive NCAA Region 4 Division II sectional championships. Last spring, the Braves tied the program’s single-season record for victories with 45. This came on the heels of a 43-win campaign in 2023.

Black Hawk won three Arrowhead Athletic Conference Championships under Keim’s leadership, and the Braves earned the American Baseball Coaches Association 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 of Keim’s tenure.

A native of the Quad Cities who graduated from Rock Island High School and played two seasons at Black Hawk before finishing his playing career at Saint Joseph’s College, where he was a first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection as a third baseman.