Just a short decade ago, Kasey Glover was walking across the stage at Livingston High School. He played baseball four years for the Lions, then graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in 2019, with plans to get back into the game through coaching. While a student teacher at Livingston, he volunteered in the baseball program. Shortly after, he received a phone call from former Livingston Athletic Director Finis Vanover, telling him he had a job.
Now, Glover has accepted the head coaching position for Big Sandy baseball. His first head role, he takes over a team that finished 8-5 and third place in District 25-2A under Will McInnis.
“I started out as the low man down at the junior high and was doing volunteering with the baseball program at that point to help them out,” Glover said of his first year returning to Livingston as a teacher and coach. “I slowly worked my way up from being the freshman baseball coach and position coach at the junior high to being first assistant on the varsity baseball team for a few years. I also served as the junior high coordinator my last year.
“Becoming a head baseball coach has always been the goal. Everything I've done in my career this far has been to try to push me to that point. I feel like my year as the junior high coordinator over that whole athletic program really helped me out in a leadership aspect. I felt like I was ready.”
Glover looked at openings in programs that felt like a fit. He cited the history of success in athletics at Big Sandy and new facilities the district opened this year as key selling points. He felt the school was looking for a coach who would set high standards, pushing student-athletes to their potential.
“They have a wonderful facility and great administration, so I put my name in the hat and was lucky enough to get an interview. I was blessed with the opportunity. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get out there and get in front of the kids to introduce myself and explain how we are going to do things. I know they graduated three seniors that started last year. There is a big hole at catcher that needs to be filled, but I know there are some young kids out there that have some experience catching. They also lost a second baseman and a pitcher.
“We've got a solid core of four or five kids that will be seniors that have a lot of experience. Then, a few sophomores and a few freshmen started as well. They've got several young arms that I've seen throw when they were younger. I'm really looking forward to developing some of those guys, but I'm just excited to get out there and work.”
The program has been a consistent winner, reaching the playoffs each year in recent history. Its pinnacle was 2018-19, when back-to-back state championships were brought home to Dallardsville. In 2025, they were eliminated through a pair of shutouts by Burton. That Burton squad later reached the state semifinals.
Glover said he will rely on some of the team’s veterans, but nothing is set in stone for 2026.
“Past experience is definitely important and will for sure be considered, but the lineup card is a blank slate. A lot of that is going to depend on how hard those guys work in the offseason. Something that is a little newer that I'll have to navigate is having to ramp those basketball kids up really quickly and see what they can do. Hopefully, we'll have a good idea of what that lineup card looks like by November or December.
“I'm going to try to develop kids to play a lot of different positions. I think that is really important when you don't have a giant program. We're looking at 24 or 25 kids, so having guys that can do multiple things that can shuffle around will help. We're going to work out really hard in the offseason and the weight room. I'm not sure if that's been a priority in the past, but in my time at Livingston, I can attest that busting your tail in the weight room really does make a difference.”
The new head coach also said he wants to work on keeping pitch counts down. Class 2A numbers will likely dictate the Wildcats not having a deep pitching staff, so defense will play a big factor in throwing strikes and pitching to contact. Conversely, he wants his offense to see as many pitches as possible.
“My main thing is playing the game hard, playing fast, and doing it the right way. We're going to do whatever accommodates the kind of players we have, but priority one will be playing with maximum effort. I preach to control the things you can control. There's no excuse for a lack of attitude, effort and intensity. I believe in putting the most athletic defense you can on the field. Usually, the better athletes you have, the more outs you get – being able to pitch to contact and trust your defense to back them up.”
Glover will also head up the cross country program, where he said three qualified for regionals last year, with a couple just missing out on reaching the state round. In the classroom, he will teach U.S. history on the high school level, as well as physical education.
