VALDOSTA, Ga. – Valdosta State Director of Athletics Troy Katen announced Wednesday the hiring of J.D. Hulse to head baseball coach, following the departure of Jan Weisberg to Eastern Kentucky.  
 
"We are thrilled to announce J.D. Hulse has accepted the position as the next head coach of Blazer Baseball," Katen said.  "Coach Hulse brings a wealth of experience and knowledge that was instrumental to our team's success this past season. Our top priority remains providing an exceptional experience for our student-athletes during their time at Valdosta State University, and he has played a key role in building a culture that fosters success both on and off the field. Throughout the season, we witnessed tremendous growth in our team and individual players—reflected in our overall record and the many accolades earned by our student-athletes. That progress is a direct result of the leadership and commitment Coach Hulse has brought to the program. Blazer Nation, please join us in welcoming Coach Hulse, his wife Cortney, and their daughters as we enter an exciting new chapter of Blazer Baseball."
 
Hulse is the fourth head coach of the Blazers since 1967, following Weisberg (2024-25), Greg Guilliams (2007-2024) and VSU Hall of Fame honoree Tommy Thomas (1967-2007).  Hulse followed Weisberg to Valdosta State from Birmingham Southern this past season as he helped guide the Blazers to a 30-22 record overall and a 22-10 record in Gulf South Conference play as the Blazers finished second in the league regular season standings.  The second-place finish was the best for VSU since 2022 when the team also finished second in the regular season.  
 
This past season, Hulse's responsibilities included being the recruiting coordinator, strength and conditioning coach and third base coach. He also led the hitters and outfielders.  Blazer senior third baseman Orlando Pena earned National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) Second Team All-Region honors and D2CCA Second Team accolades, while he earned GSC Player of the Year honors this season.  Senior infielder Pedro Moreno also earned first team all-league honors with Pena, while pitchers Hunter Booth and Ryan Brown earned second team honors along with senior designated hitter Hunter Stowe.  Brown also earned NCBWA Second Team All-Region accolades.  
 
As a team, the Blazers led the GSC in doubles this season with 98, while the team finished 13^th nationally in double plays (46).  Pena led the GSC in home runs with 20 for 16^th nationally, while he was tenth nationally and tops in the league in RBI (79) and led the league in slugging percentage at a .724 clip for 39^th nationally.  
 
"I am truly honored to be the new head coach for Valdosta State University," Hulse said.  "I want to thank our athletic director, Troy Katen, for this great opportunity.  I am grateful that is he entrusting me with such a storied baseball program.  Valdosta State baseball has a great winning tradition, and my goal is to continue building VSU baseball into a national powerhouse.  We have great facilities, coaches, support staff, athletic director, alumni, donors, and fans to help reach this goal.  In pursuit of this, we will also create a culture that will build young men into future leaders, husbands, fathers, and outstanding members of society.  We will aspire to excel both on the field and in the classroom.  Lastly, we will create an environment that will give our players the relationships they deserve and a fantastic college experience.  My family and I can't wait to get started."
 
Hulse joined Weisberg's staff as an assistant coach at Division III Birmingham-Southern College in the 2017 season. In his seven full seasons from 2017-2024, the Panthers had three 40+ win seasons and had made the NCAA Tournament and NCAA Regional Final six times. In those six tournaments, the Panthers were a number one regional seed in 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2023 and hosted Super Regionals in 2019 and 2022. In 2019, Hulse helped BSC to a 42-15 record and their first DIII College World Series appearance in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where they finished national runner-up.  After the season, Hulse received Alabama's Assistant Coach of the Year Award.  Then in 2024, Hulse helped lead BSC to a Cinderella run in the Division III College World Series after the school had announced it was shutting its doors following the 2023-24 academic year.  For his efforts during the 2024 season, Hulse was named 2024 ABCA/Marines Assistant Coach of the Year.

During his tenure, the Panthers have earned 59 All-Conference honors, 33 All-Region honors, four All-Americans, four SAA Pitcher-of-the-Year awards, three Rawlings Gold Glove winners, and one draft pick (Preston White).

In 2023, Hulse recruited a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country for six straight weeks. In the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Hulse led one of the most productive offenses in the country where the team was in the nation's top ten in wins, runs scored per game, home runs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage, and stolen bases.

Before taking the job at BSC, Hulse was the assistant coach at Louisiana Tech during the 2015 and 2016 seasons where he was the camp coordinator, director of operations, outfield coach, assistant hitting coach, and first base coach. In his short stint in Ruston, La., Hulse helped produce seven draft picks. Three of those draft picks reached the majors; Phil Maton, Phil Diehl, and Braden Bristo. The season before he took the job at LA Tech, the Bulldogs went 15-40. Two years later, Hulse helped the bulldogs to a 42-20 record and played Mississippi State in the 2016 regional final. 

Hulse's first stint at BSC was as the volunteer assistant coach in the 2013 and 2014 seasons where he assisted the recruiting efforts, the strength and conditioning program, the offense, and field maintenance. He led the outfielders and short game. He helped the Panthers win their first SAA regular season and tournament championship in the 2014 season, which granted them an automatic bid into NCAA South Regional.

As a player, Hulse was a member of Weisberg's first recruiting class at BSC in 2007. He was a four-year starter for the Panthers in center field. Hulse was a three-time All-SCAC performer in 2008, 2010 and 2011. He was a catalyst to the team's championship seasons in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Hulse's career numbers earned him recognition in both the SCAC and Birmingham Southern record books. He hit .338 for his career with 12 home runs, 101 RBIs, and 68 stolen bases. He sits at 7th in BSC history in runs scored and 6th in triples. In SCAC history, he is 9th in runs scored and 10th in stolen bases. 

He married his wife, Cortney, in 2014. They have two daughters, Harper and Hayden. Hulse received his master of arts degree in coaching sports performance in 2018. He earned his performance enhancement specialist certification for strength and conditioning in 2012. Hulse earned his bachelor of science degree in psychology from Birmingham Southern in 2011.