THIBODAUX, La. – Third-year Nicholls baseball coach Seth Thibodeaux today announced the hiring of Gerald Cassard and Brett Stewart to the Colonels coaching staff for the 2012-13 season.
 
Cassard joins the Colonels after five years at the helm of the Loyola baseball program in New Orleans and will become the Director of Operations, while Stewart was an assistant coach for the Rockville Express and will be a Volunteer Assistant.
 
“Gerald and Brett are great additions to our staff and we are thrilled to have them become a part of the resurgence of Colonel Baseball,” Thibodeaux said. “They both have the work ethic we look for in coaches who know what it takes for a program to be great.”
 
Cassard is a Nicholls graduate who spent seven years as an assistant at his alma mater in the late 90's, serving as recruiting coordinator and pitching coach for Mike Knight and BD Parker. He was named head coach at Loyola in 2007, finishing with a career mark of 82-171 for the Wolfpack and led Loyola to the GCAC Tournament Championship in 2010. Known as a top-level recruiter, Cassard has recruited and coached multiple all-conference and all-state players.
 
Stewart was a two-time Panhandle Conference Academic Honor Roll selection, second team Panhandle All-Conference and Florida JUCO All-Star Game participant while playing at Tallahassee Community College in 2005 and 2006, before moving on to Appalachian State where he earned his B.S. in Psychology. Most recently, Stewart was an assistant coach for the Rockville Express of the Cal Ripken Collegiate Summer League, where he was a third base and hitting and fielding coach. He has also worked for the Virginia Baseball Club and Northwest Florida State College, as well as provided personal instruction as a private hitting coach.