Eric Folmar will enter his fifth season as head coach in 2024.
Folmar led a resurgent 2023 season in earning Kutztown's 2022-23 Dr. Dennis Roth Male Coach of the Year award. He helped put the program back on the map when it comes to PSAC and NCAA postseason talk and just overall receptiveness. Folmar led the Golden Bears to a 15-win turnaround from last season with a 26-19 record (most wins since 2014) and 12-12 mark in the conference, finishing tied for fourth in the East Division, despite being picked last in the preseason poll. They just missed qualifying for the postseason for the first time since 2014 due to a tiebreaker. Three Golden Bears earned spots on the All-PSAC teams and two were All-Region, most since 2014.
The Golden Bears had 11 wins during the 2022 campaign as Folmar coached Mike Kelly to All-PSAC and ABCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team honors.
In his first full season in spring of 2021, Folmar guided the Golden Bears to 17 wins overall and 11 in the PSAC, the most since 2018. KU also had its first All-PSAC selections since that year, as Collin Bishop earned First Team and Gavin Moretski was tabbed Second Team.
In a shortened first season at the helm in 2020, Folmar led the Golden Bears to a 7-4 overall record, the program's first winning record to end a season since 2014.
With nearly two decades of coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level, Folmar has paid his dues. Now, he’s getting the opportunity to lead a program for the first time.
Folmar, a native of Chambersburg, Pa., most recently spent three seasons as associate head coach at the University of Louisiana Monroe from 2015-17. He was responsible for working with the Warhawks' hitters and infielders on the field and took a lead role in many aspects of the program.
In 2015, ULM produced a .271 team batting average to rank fifth in the Sun Belt Conference. Under Folmar's watch, senior third baseman Keelin Rasch posted the league's second-highest batting average (.359) and was amongst its leaders in hits (78), slugging percentage (.571), on-base+slugging (.966), runs batted in (41) and total bases (124). The Warhawks' fielding percentage exceeded .960 in each of Folmar's three seasons and he coached seven players selected in Major League Baseball's First-Year Player Draft.
Folmar coordinated ULM's recruiting schedule, scholarships and prospect visits, while developing offensive and defensive scouting reports and daily practice plans. He also monitored student-athlete academic progress and served as lead instructor at prospect and summer camps.
Folmar was an assistant coach at Army during the 2014 season, helping the Black Knights to a 33-18 overall record and 15-5 mark in Patriot League play.
Prior to arriving at West Point, Folmar completed eight seasons as an assistant coach at Penn State, where he directed the program's recruiting efforts. He was the Nittany Lions' third base coach and focused on coaching infielders and base running.
Folmar recruited pitcher Drew O'Neil who held the program’s season and career saves records until 2016 and was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the fourth round of the 2008 MLB First-Year Player Draft. He also brought catcher Ben Heath to Penn State. Heath belted a PSU single-season record 19 home runs in 2010, was an All-American and drafted by the Houston Astros in the fifth round of the 2010 MLB Draft.
Folmar coached or recruited 25 players who were selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, mentored 22 All-Big Ten selections and 54 Academic Big Ten student-athletes.
A standout infielder and catcher at Old Dominion University from 1996-99, Folmar led the Monarchs to three Colonial Athletic Association championship game appearances, the 1996 CAA championship and a spot in the NCAA Clemson Regional. He started 168 consecutive games and was a team captain. Folmar earned his degree in health and physical education from ODU in 1999.
Following graduation, Folmar got his coaching start with Young Harris Junior College in Georgia, where he worked with infielders and catchers, along with serving as camp coordinator. The Mountain Lions won 82 games and a pair of conference titles in his two seasons on staff. Nine players were taken in the MLB Draft, including Callix Crabbe, who reached the majors with San Diego in 2008.
Folmar returned to his alma mater, Old Dominion, from 2002-05, leading the infielders, outfielders, catchers and base running while also assisting with recruiting. Among the 16 players he coached or recruited that were chosen in the MLB Draft was Justin Verlander, 2011 American League Cy Young Award winner and Most Valuable Player. Verlander, an eight-time all-star and 2017 World Series champion with the Houston Astros, has racked up more than 200 wins and 2,800 strikeouts in his 15-year MLB career.
Folmar has four sons: Bryce, Zac, Alex and Tyler, and a daughter: Mia.
|
|
All Games |
|
|
PSAC Games |
|
| Year |
School |
W |
L |
T |
Pct |
|
W |
L |
T |
Pct. |
| 2020 |
Kutztown |
7 |
4 |
|
.636 |
|
0 |
0 |
|
.000 |
| 2021 |
Kutztown |
17 |
21 |
|
.447 |
|
11 |
21 |
|
.344 |
| 2022 |
Kutztown |
11 |
35 |
|
.239 |
|
4 |
20 |
|
.167 |
| 2023 |
Kutztown |
26 |
19 |
|
.578 |
|
12 |
12 |
|
.500 |
| Totals |
|
61 |
79 |
|
.436 |
|
27 |
53 |
|
.338 |
