Kolks to lead OA baseball

PHOTO COURTESY OF OLDENBURG ATHLETICS

Patrick Kolks (right) has been named the new varsity baseball coach at Oldenburg Academy, replacing former head coach Doug Behlmer. Kolks and his wife Emily, (left), currently reside in Lawrenceburg.

Patrick Kolks played both the role of athletic director and assistant coach over the past two years at Oldenburg Academy but now the former sports administrator finds himself in a head coaching role as Kolks was named the new varsity baseball head coach this month.

Kolks ended his tenure as athletic director at the end of June to take over as the new Oldenburg Facilities Specialist but his coaching role now expands. He becomes just the second head baseball coach at the school, taking over for Doug Behlmer who spent the past 21 years turning the Twisters into one of the area’s top teams.

“This is an unbelievable opportunity,” Kolks said in a press release from the school. “This has been a dream of mine since I graduated from Oldenburg. I have been able to learn from the best coach in Southeastern Indiana in Doug Behlmer. Coach has been a fantastic mentor over these years and I am looking forward to continuing the success of Oldenburg baseball that he has had.”

Having spent the last seven years as an assistant coach to Behlmer, Kolks played for Oldenburg baseball and graduated in 2010 after having helped lead the program to a Class A sectional title that same year. He then went on to a successful collegiate career at former NCAA Division III power Thomas More College in Kentucky, helping the Saints to two conference championships and three appearances in the NCAA Division III National Tournament.

After graduation, Kolks returned to Oldenburg to serve as an assistant coach among other roles at the school. He and Behlmer teamed up to lead the Twisters to a No. 1 ranking in Class A during the 2021 campaign while racking up a sectional title and regional finalist finish in the state tournament.

“I am very excited for this opportunity for Patrick (Kolks),” new athletic director Michael Higdon noted. “He has seen this program from many different angles. I feel that he will continue the success that Coach Behlmer has had over these years..”

With Kolks now at the helm, Behlmer’s career came to an end, having put together one of the most impressive head coaching runs in the area and certainly one of the longest running. Behlmer won 226 games in 21 years and won five sectional championships under his watch. Oldenburg won three-straight crowns from 2003-2005 before its titles in 2010 and 2021.

“I would like to thank Coach Behlmer for all that he has done for Oldenburg baseball,” Higdon added. “His hard work and dedication to this program is the reason for how successful it has been.”

Kolks will spend the beginning of the school year focusing on his new facilities specialist job and then will start shifting attention to baseball come winter. He and his wife Emily currently reside in Lawrenceburg.