Grand Valley State University Director of Athletics Keri Becker was tasked with filling the hole left by the resignation of former Head Baseball Coach Jamie Detillion. Becker landed on Western Michigan University Broncos’ Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Jordan Keur. During his time at Western Michigan Keur helped coach several players to All-Conference achievements in the Midwestern Athletic Conference.
Keur is replacing eleven-year coach Jamie Detillion, who resigned in May for unknown reasons following the conclusion of the team’s 2023 season where they went 32-21 and reached the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship Game. Becker had no comment regarding Detillion’s resignation, Becker said she was “looking forward to the future with Coach Keur.”
Prior to his role as head coach of the Lakers, Detillion worked under the school’s Hall of Fame coach Steve Lyon (inducted in 2018). When Lyon retired following a stellar tenure with a record of 552-205-2 (0.729) Detillion filled his place. Detillion ended his career at GVSU with a record of 286-180-2 (0.613).
“He checked all three of our boxes as a leader of men, a baseball coach of course and a culture builder,” Becker said. “If there was one thing that I would have to say (that impressed the most) it was how he connected with people in the room. When we were interviewing him it felt more like a conversation than an interview. He talked like a head coach.”
Keur, a native of nearby Hudsonville, Michigan, has quickly become an experienced coach as he has risen the ranks since his playing career ended at Michigan State University. He earned an All Big Ten accolade and won the Big Ten Championship during his career with the Spartans (2010-2013). In his all-conference Junior season he was the team leader in hits (89), multi-hit games (31) and batting average (.353).
His passion for coaching and the game of baseball is evident. In his first five years of coaching baseball Keur volunteered. Keur served as a volunteer assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for one year, taking on the same role for the following four seasons at MSU. Then Keur took the head coach position at Lansing Community College (LCC) where his team was dominant. LCC finished the regular season ranked first overall nationally in 2019 and seventh overall nationally in 2021, the two highest winning percentages in school history.
During Keur’s time as an volunteer assistant coach the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) did not allow volunteer assistants to be paid a salary by the athletic department. That rule has since been repealed as of Jan. 2023. This means Keur was not allowed to receive any compensation from the university for his services.
Now, as the newly named Grand Valley Head Baseball Coach, Keur attempts to reestablish the Lakers’ baseball program to the same high standards that it has reached in the past.
Keur has tabbed Peter Romsek from St. Xavier University as Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator and Jarret Olson of Lansing Community College as Assistant Coach and Pitching Coach. Romsek served as St. Xavier’s recruiting coordinator, hitting coach, and infield coach for the last three seasons. There Romsek and the Cougars reached the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) World Series. Olson has spent his last two years as the pitching coach for Lansing Community College where he coached the Junior College National Pitcher of the Year and his team made two National Junior College Athletics Association (NJCAA) World Series appearances.
The Lakers now look towards the recruiting trail as they prepare for their upcoming 2024 season this Spring.
