'This was my team' ... New FSU pitching coach Micah Posey thrilled to be back home

He accepted the job over a week ago, and he has been a Florida State fan for as long as he can remember.

Still, as he wore a garnet Florida State T-shirt and baseball cap while talking to reporters on Tuesday, Micah Posey admitted his new gear was going to take some getting used to.

“I haven’t worn this in 10 years, since I went to a football game,” Posey said, explaining that college coaches typically don’t wear apparel from schools that aren’t paying their salaries. “So every time I put on the practice gear, I feel like I’m getting ready to go tailgate. I’m excited to be back for sure.”

For the first time in his life, Posey won’t just be cheering for the Seminoles, he’ll be an official part of the program as FSU’s pitching coach.

The Tallahassee native, who is coming off a successful three-year stint at Dallas Baptist University, said head coach Link Jarrett reached out to him about the position earlier this month when it appeared likely former pitching coach Chuck Ristano would be leaving to become head coach at Navy.

And after talking it over with his wife, Posey said, it was a pretty easy decision.

“Growing up in Tallahassee, Florida State was kind of like Disney World to a young kid,” Posey said. “It was kind of like this magical, mythical thing — almost unattainable. So when I had the chance to come back, it’s almost like you pinch yourself a little bit. …

“I grew up pulling for Florida State. This was my team.”

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After his professional baseball career ended in the late 2000s, Posey actually came home to Florida State to earn his bachelor’s degree in marketing. The plan then was to enter private business and leave baseball in his past.

But after helping his father, longtime North Florida Christian baseball coach Mike Posey, for a few years and also working for local travel organization Next Level Baseball on the side, the younger Posey caught the coaching bug.

And after a decade with stops at Elon University, East Tennessee State and Dallas Baptist, Posey said he was elated about getting the chance to work at his alma mater and for Jarrett.

“I’m a huge believer in him,” Posey said. “That was, to be honest with you, a big draw in coming back. I felt very comfortable with what he’s going to build. I know he’s a proven winner and his attention to detail, and I couldn’t be more excited to work for Link Jarrett. He’s one of the best in the country.”

The coaches became acquaintances through the years while on the road recruiting. And they actually competed against each other when Jarrett was head coach at UNC-Greensboro and Posey was on the staff at Elon in North Carolina.

“Being in the other dugout, Link’s offenses are a pain in the neck,” Posey said. “I’m glad we’re in the same dugout. … His offenses were very pesky. They had good blends of power, compete, they could run the bases, they could hit for average.”

*ALSO SEE: Micah Posey will be perfect ‘fit’ as FSU pitching coach, according to Next Level’s Robinson

Describing his approach as combining “old school” grit and competitiveness with new-age technology, Posey has his work cut out for him with Florida State. The Seminoles struggled mightily on the mound in Jarrett’s first season, especially once staff ace Wyatt Crowell was sidelined by an injury.

Posey has already been watching video of FSU’s returning pitchers and expected newcomers, but he said he won’t pass judgment on any of them until he gets to work with them personally.

“You also want to be careful getting too far out in front of it,” he said. “You want to get here in the fall and kind of give these guys a chance. Kind of get to know ’em. Evaluating them in person is, I think, a big thing. They all get a fresh slate.

“Regardless of what they did last year, I like to think they’re coming in with a fresh slate.”

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