Former UT Director of Baseball Operations Mike Corn to Coach Baseball at
Columbia State

(Columbia, Tenn. – July 7, 2009) – - – Mike Corn will start his first
season at Columbia State as the new interim baseball coach for the
Chargers during the fall 2009 semester. Corn comes to Columbia State
Community College from the University of Tennessee where he served as
director of baseball operations.

“I’m excited to return to the town of Columbia and to Columbia State
after 15 years and take over the program,” said Corn, who began his
collegiate playing career at Columbia State in 1994. “Columbia State has
a winning tradition with the program in the 70′s, 80′s and 90′s, and I
am looking forward to building on the great job that Coach (Kelly)
Bratton has done over the last couple of years and to trying to get
Columbia State back on top and in the national spotlight.”

Corn joined the baseball program at University of Tennessee in August of
2008. In addition to having played and coached at the collegiate level,
the Erwin, Tennessee, native also boasts an extensive familiarity with
the college and prep baseball landscape throughout the Southeast.

His primary responsibilities at Tennessee included managing all baseball
camps, oversight of student managers, serving as an academic liaison to
the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center and assistance with on-campus
recruiting.

“Coming from UT, Mike has learned the administrative side of sports,”
said Louis Conner, athletic director at Columbia State Community
College. “That is a plus for us here at Columbia State.”

Corn spent the previous nine seasons as an assistant coach at Tusculum
College in Greeneville, Tennessee prior to his time at UT. He mentored
the Pioneers infielders while also assisting with the outfielders and
monitoring the team’s academic progress.

Corn acted as head coach of Tusculum’s junior varsity baseball team
during his last seven seasons there, and he also held the title of
recruiting coordinator during his final two years with the Pioneers.

His nine year tenure at Tusculum saw the program post eight consecutive
winning seasons, four straight 40-win campaigns, three South Atlantic
Conference championships, two SAC Tournament titles and four trips to
the NCAA Division II Tournament.

In Corn’s last four seasons in Greeneville, the Pioneers went 175-60-1.
Tusculum turned in a sterling 50-14 record in 2007. The 50 wins remain a
school and conference record and included a record 23-game winning
streak. The Pioneers finished the 2007 season ranked 18th nationally and
were one of only seven teams in the nation with 50 wins.

Corn’s time at Tusculum saw the program produce seven All-Americas, 13
All-Region honorees and 41 All-Conference selections. Included among
that list are three South Atlantic Conference Players of the Year, two
SAC Pitchers of the Year, two SAC Freshmen of the Year and one SAC Male
Athlete of the Year. Additionally, 32 Pioneers garnered SAC
All-Tournament distinction, including a pair who garnered MVP honors.

He received his Bachelor’s degree in Fitness programming from Coker in
1998. Corn replaces former Chargers coach Kelly Bratton, who accepted
the position of head baseball coach at Martin Methodist College in
Pulaski, Tennessee. Bratton, a Columbia native, held the position of
head baseball coach at Columbia State for three years and was assistant
baseball coach from 2001 to 2002.

Columbia State is a two-year college, serving a nine-county area in
southern Middle Tennessee with locations in Columbia, Franklin,
Lawrenceburg, Lewisburg and Clifton. As Tennessee’s first community
college, Columbia State is committed to increasing access and enhancing
diversity at all five campuses. Columbia State is a member of the
Tennessee Board of Regents, the sixth largest higher education system in
the nation. For more information, please visit www.columbiastate.edu
.