New Market Hires New Manager
NEW MARKET, Va. - The New Market Rebels have hired from within for their 2010 field manager position.
Corey Paluga, who was the lead assistant for the 2009 Rebels under Lucas Jones, takes over as the field manager for 2010.
A 2006 graduate of Lynchburg College, Paluga was recently hired as the assistant baseball coach at Stevens Institute of Technology in Hoboken, New Jersey.
"We always attempt to hire from within the Rebel family to ensure continuity," New Market Rebels' President and General Manager Bruce Alger said. "Corey brings continuity, character, and a sound baseball background to the Rebel organization."
Following a four-year playing career at Lynchburg, Paluga stayed at his alma mater to serve as a graduate assistant baseball coach under Percy Abell. He received his graduate degree this past May and was hired at Stevens Tech last month.
"When Bruce called, I was very honored and flattered that he considered me a qualified individual to handle such an important position for the organization and for the town of New Market," Paluga said. "After a great experience last summer, it wasn't a tough decision to accept the position."
Paluga has already started recruiting players and hopes to have some familiar faces back in 2010.
"Corey is one of my closest friends in this profession, and he was a large part of our playoff run last summer. I have nothing but confidence in him," former manager Jones said.
Calling it a 'difficult decision', Jones declined an offer to return for 2010. Currently an assistant coach at Division III Randolph-Macon, Jones has a career goal of coaching Division I baseball and did not think it would be fair to the Rebels organization to divide his attention.
"I certainly owe the town of New Market, Bruce Alger, and the entire organization extreme gratitude for the opportunity to coach the 2009 Rebels team," Jones said. "I have built positive, lifelong relationships that extend past the diamond, and I have nothing but positives as I reflect on my experiences in New Market."
New Market, one of the oldest franchises in the Valley League, is slated to begin the 2010 season the first Friday in June.