DANVILLE, Va. — Averett University baseball head coach Kenny Fleming '15/'17 is stepping down to pursue a career opportunity outside of coaching, the university announced Friday.

Longtime assistant coach Billy McLaughlin will serve as interim head coach of the program.

Fleming had guided the Averett baseball program since 2019, and the Cougars are coming off the best season during his tenure after going 20-16 this past spring. Fleming was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference's Coach of the Year in 2025.

"I will always be thankful to former Director of Athletics Meg Stevens and former President Dr. Tiffany Franks for taking a chance on me as a 28-year-old to lead a collegiate program," Fleming said. "I am proud to look back and see the growth in our program and how we are now competitive in the ODAC with a culture of professionalism and accountability. To all our alumni, past players and current Cougars, I want to thank you for the loyalty, dedication and willingness to commit to a level of success and the standard has now been set. I look forward to watching the future success of this program."

Under Fleming, Averett's baseball program has flourished in recruiting while also finding success off the diamond. In addition to all-region, all-state and all-conference selections, the Cougars have produced five academic all-district selections.

"We appreciate the time and effort Kenny has put into building the program and we wish him the best in his future endeavors," Averett Director of Athletics Danny Miller said.

McLaughlin, who played for the Cougars from 2013-16, has been an assistant for Averett since 2019.