Randall steps down as Onsted baseball coach
ONSTED — Matthew Randall has stepped down after 13 seasons as the Onsted varsity baseball coach.
He announced his decision at a postseason party held to celebrate the Wildcats season.
“For the past 13 years, my family has had to sacrifice so much to ensure I can do what I love,” Randall said. “One of the hardest things to do is say goodbye. That time has come now for me.”
Randall took over as head coach in 2010 after starting his coaching career at his alma mater, Tecumseh, coaching with current Tecumseh head coach Tom Bullinger.
There were struggles early on. That first season Onsted won five games. The past several years, however, has been a different story. The Wildcats went 28-7 in 2016, winning the school’s first LCAA title since 1972. In 2022, Onsted won the league again, going 30-5 overall, setting a school record for victories in a season.
Randall was named the county coach of the year in each of those two seasons. He won 176 games in his 13 seasons as head coach.
“We have built a very successful program, making Onsted baseball relevant again,” Randall said.
Onsted won district titles in 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2022 under Randall, who coached two Lenawee County players of the year and five all-state players. Onsted went 16-11 this past season.
His final game as head coach didn’t come for Onsted but in coaching the Lenawee County All-Stars against an all-star team from Hillsdale County at Adrian College. Randall’s team won 22-3. Among his assistants was Larry Tuttle, the winningest coach in Michigan prep baseball history and former coach at Blissfield.
Randall said it was special getting to coach alongside one of his idols – Tuttle – before bowing out as coach himself.
“I’ve been playing against coach Tuttle for 26 years,” Randall said. “I’ve coached against him for 20 years. To be able to coach with him at the all-star game meant so much to me.
“My program at Onsted would never be where it is now without playing against him. He and Randy Sparks taught me so much about the game, how to play it and how to respect it.”
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Randall steps down as Onsted baseball coach after 13 seasons
