After leading the Dutchmen to an increasing number of wins in his first three seasons at the helm, Albany will welcome back Nick Davey as head coach for 2013. Last year, Davey guided the Dutchmen to a 6th place finish, three games out of the final playoff spot, despite numerous late season injuries. It’s that continued improvement that makes the Dutchmen confident that Davey is the right man for the job.
“We haven’t gotten to the place where we want to be,” admitted Dutchmen Owner, Paul Samulski, “but we’re moving in the right direction, and Nick is a big part of that.” For his part, Davey considers it “an honor to be coming back to the Albany Dutchmen for the 2013 baseball season,” and continue a relationship that still has many goals left to attain.
“We are obviously happy with the improvement we’ve made, but our goal is to win a championship,” added Samulski. “We think that Nick’s attention to player development and dedication to the team and community are major reasons why that goal is within our grasp.” Indeed, over the last three years, local product Davey has been instrumental in helping the Dutchmen increase their presence in the Albany area. Along with General Manager Jason Brinkman, Davey helps facilitate the Dutchmen’s community service efforts.
"Nick is a great leader and we are thrilled to have him continue to lead the Dutchmen both on the field and off," said Brinkman.
Part of Davey's dedication comes from a simple belief in the organization and the direction it’s headed in. “Paul, Alan [Bignall, a Dutchmen Owner], and Jason run a top notch collegiate summer ball program,” explained Davey. “We have made great gains in the three years that I have been a part of the organization from our facility, which in my mind is the best in the league, to better players and better staffing.”
In order to ensure that the Dutchmen are able to take that next step in 2013, Davey has been working diligently with Eric Samulski, the Dutchmen’s Head of Player Recruitment, to shape this summer’s roster. “Eric and I have worked very hard in putting the current roster together, and I can’t wait to follow our guys during their school seasons and start developing them even more during the summer.”
However, similar to the rest of the organization, Davey isn’t content to merely meet last year’s performance. “We fully expect to be a playoff team this season and bring postseason baseball to our fans in 2013.”
With Davey leading the charge, it seems like the next logical step.
