May 21, 2024
GALESBURG — Carl Sandburg College turned to a familiar face to be the new leader of its baseball program.
Brandon Porter, a Sandburg baseball alumnus who went on to lead one of the most successful high school programs in the area for a decade, has been hired as the Chargers’ head coach.
Porter takes over for Josh Foreman, who stepped down after a six-year tenure as coach that included Arrowhead Conference championships in 2019 and 2022.
A Brimfield native, Porter was a two-year starter at catcher for the Chargers from 2007-08. As a sophomore, he was part of Sandburg’s first conference championship team in 19 years. That squad also won the Region 4 sectional and finished as runner-up in the Region 4 tournament, the first team in school history to do so.
“I’ve always wanted to coach at the college level, and I couldn’t think of a better place to start than coming back to Sandburg,” Porter said. “It’s really a dream come true. Sandburg meant so much to me. It gave me an opportunity to play back when I was an 18-year-old kid, and I walked out of here having become a man. Those memories have lasted with me, and I can’t wait to create more memories here.”
Porter continued his playing career at Hannibal-LaGrange University, where he earned his bachelor’s in education in 2011. Porter has taught PE, health and driver’s education at Brimfield High School, his alma mater, since 2013.
He coached the Brimfield/Elmwood baseball team from 2013-23, compiling a record of 232-86-1. In 10 seasons, Brimfield/Elmwood had eight 20-win campaigns, won eight conference championships and brought home five Class 2A regional titles. B/E also won sectional championships in 2018, 2019 and 2022.
“We’re thrilled to bring Coach Porter back to Sandburg,” athletic director Daniella Irle said. “With his experience as a Charger, he understands the importance of sustaining the level of excellence this program has displayed in the past. He’s a coach who’s proven he knows how to develop players with strong fundamentals, and he’ll put in the energy and effort to give them a great student-athlete experience during their time in a Sandburg uniform.”
Porter’s Brimfield/Elmwood teams produced 45 all-conference picks, five all-state selections and 24 players who went on to play college baseball. Porter was named the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association’s Class 2A Area Coach of the Year in 2022 after guiding his team to a 31-3 record and sectional title.
Porter also coached Brimfield/Elmwood’s junior high program from 2013-14 and again from 2016-22, posting a 134-47 record in nine seasons. His teams won three regional titles and placed third in the state in 2019.
“I’m a big fundamentals guy. I’m a teacher of the game and try to teach guys to play ball the right way,” Porter said. “I like hard-nosed guys who are willing to grind, put in the time, the effort and are willing to get better every day. Those are the types of players that we want coming into this program.”
A member of the Greater Peoria Baseball Coaching Association, Porter also serves as an instructor for the EL1 Sports, the Central Illinois Canes travel program, Brimfield Little League.
Porter lives in Brimfield with his wife, Allison. They have a 4-year-old daughter, Miley, and 11-month-old son, Madden.
***Story and photo courtesy of Sandburg Athletics***
