Longtime Charlotte Latin baseball coach retiring

After more than 30 years of coaching, Charlotte Latin baseball coach Kim Cousar is retiring.

Cousar, who has been at Latin since 2011, has coached nearly 100 college players and nine that have signed pro contacts. The N.C. Baseball Coaches Association inducted him to its Hall of Fame in 2016.

“The Latin community is special because it really believes in the core values the school established long ago and has never strayed from them,” Cousar said. “To be a part of it has been a wonderful experience and I am grateful that I had such an opportunity.”

The school named Porter Ridge coach Daniel Cooke to replace Cousar. Cooke was chosen from a 100-person national search. He is a graduate of Independence High and Gardner-Webb University, where he was all-conference in football and basketball.

Before coaching baseball at Porter Ridge, Cooke led Independence to conference titles in 2014 and 2016. Cooke coached at Independence for six years.

Cooke comes to Charlotte Latin from Porter Ridge High School where he is the head baseball coach and a physical education teacher. The Pirates are 12-9 going into this week’s Southwestern 4A conference tournament.

“Daniel’s outstanding track record in building successful programs with enthusiastic leadership and stellar character made him rise to the top of the candidate pool,” Latin athletics director David Gatoux said. “We are thrilled to welcome him to the Charlotte Latin family.”

Cooke also will teach physical education.

“I couldn’t be more excited to join Charlotte Latin and start this new chapter in my life,” said Cooke, who lives in Indian Trail with his wife, Angela, and their 4-year-old daughter Emma. “It’s an honor to follow a Hall of Fame coach like Coach Cousar and take over the baseball program. My biggest commitment is to develop student-athletes both on and off the field and I can’t wait to get started.”