About the Coach

In 1996 Ed Fulton was named the head baseball coach of an Averett team that had completed only one varsity season. Today, in his 10th year at Averett, he heads a program that has enjoyed success in the USA South Conference, as well as at the national level.

Over the past six seasons the Cougars have posted a 131-106 record under Fulton’s direction, including a 2003 USA South Conference Tournament Championship. The championship team he built is a far cry from the 10-24 season he endured his first year on the job in 1997. Now Fulton leads a team with 20-win seasons in four of the last five seasons and has compiled a 166-183-1overall record during his tenure.

In 2003, Averett finished tied for third in the league with a 6-6 record. However, Fulton guided his fourth seeded Cougars to five wins in six games en route to his first USA South Conference Tournament Championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regional in Hickory, NC. The Cougars posted a 27-14 overall record that season against one of the toughest schedules in the country.

The late season run also lifted Averett to their first top-10 national ranking in the program’s history at seventh. Fulton’s squad was also considered the top team in the region following the tournament championship.

Well versed in all aspects of the game, Fulton’s specialties are no doubt in the areas of hitting and catching. Averett held a team batting average of .322 and averaged 7.5 runs per game in 2003. If you also consider that 6.5 of those runs per game were earned runs, then Fulton’s credibility as a hitting coach becomes very apparent.

Behind the plate, Fulton is arguably one of the best teachers in the nation. He helped develop Greg Stevens into one of the best catchers in the south region and into a current professional ballplayer. In addition to Stevens, Fulton has also coached pitcher Gene Yost, a 20th round selection by the Nationals in 2004, and outfielder Eddie Guessford, as well as countless others, to successful professional careers. Due to his professional background, Fulton has made many contacts with professional players, scouts, coaches, and managers.

Fulton also boasts one of the region’s most lethal pitching staffs. In 2003, the team held an earned run average of only 3.97, which was second in the conference. Averett’s Yost led all conference pitchers who had registered 70 innings or more, with a 2.40 ERA. His impressive numbers helped him earn all-conference first team honors and a 2003 USA South Tournament MVP Award.

Before bringing the Cougars to national prominence, Fulton spent nine years in the minor leagues, six of those seasons at the AAA level. The St. Louis Cardinals picked him in the 16th round during the 1987 draft. Fulton’s professional career included stints with the Cardinals, Detroit Tigers, and Boston Red Sox.

Fulton played collegiate baseball at Florida State University under legendary coach Mike Martin, where the Seminoles won 230 games during his college career. He helped guide FSU to berths in the College World Series in 1986 and 1987. In 1986, Fulton was selected to the USA National Team and earned All-America honors in 1987.

A native of Danville, VA, Fulton earned his bachelor’s degree from Averett in 1998. He and his wife Christy reside in Danville. The couple has one son, Justin, and a daughter, Kena.