Mike Roberts. Photo by Chris Jones (High Point University).
Cotuit, Mass. – In 1974, Cotuit Kettleers head coach, Mike Roberts made the choice to walk away from the diamond as a player and would transition to a coach. Most would wonder, after two consecutive All-Star seasons why would you quit to be a coach? However, 50 years later, it’s clear that Roberts made the right choice and has become a legend among some of the best coaches ever.
Coming out of college, Roberts was a special player as he was a three-time All-ACC selection as a catcher. Which led him to have his name called by the Kansas City Royals in the 34th round of the 1972 MLB Draft. As soon as he was placed in the Royals minor league system, it took no time to find out that the Kingsport, Tenn. native was a ballplayer.
In his two seasons in Rookie-Level and Single-A, Roberts compiled a .280 batting average to go along with 115 hits, 65 RBI and 20 extra-base hits in 135 games. But it was then when the backstop decided he wanted to hang up his cleats, in exchange for a lineup sheet.
“I was at camp when I made the decision,” says Roberts. “I walked out [of camp] and told my wife that we were going back home because I was going to go to grad school and I’m going to coach.”
That’s exactly what he did and in 1976, he was named the head coach of the UNC Tar Heels at the age of 26.
To say that Roberts is a good coach would be an understatement, but something that’s really helped him in his time as a skipper was his experience as a catcher for 15 years. However, when he started out at that young age, he looked to other people to help him develop his knowledge to become a better all-around manager.
“Being a catcher was really great for me, it taught me how to handle a pitching staff,” said Roberts. “But I knew that I needed to learn about coaching other positions besides the backstop and pitchers. I went out and brought in other coaches to help teach me how to go about certain spots, especially middle infield. So, that was good for me to sit back and just learn.”
During his 23 years at the helm, UNC baseball had one of its best stretches in program history as Roberts racked up 780 wins, an average of nearly 34 a year. While taking home five ACC regular season titles, four ACC tournament titles, and made two College World Series appearances. Following his final year at UNC in 1998, he was named the head coach at UNC Asheville for his 24th and final season as a collegiate head coach, winning 26 games. Finishing his college career with an 806-460-3 overall record.
Even though that would be his final collegiate season as a head coach, he would catch on somewhere else. That somewhere else would happen in 2004 and would be the same team he’s managed for nearly 20 years, the Cotuit Kettleers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.
“The village of Cotuit has been fantastic, I love it here,” Roberts said. “The people here are amazing, Lowell Park itself is a great atmosphere and is a wonderful ballpark. But the dessert for me is the players. I get the opportunity to work with these elite college players from all over the country and help them develop on the field but also become better men, I love it.”
Since being in Cotuit, Roberts has made himself a household name in not just the village, but also the entire league. He’s coming up on his 20th year in 2024, but in the 19 years prior he’s accumulated exactly 400 career wins, three Cape Cod titles and produced countless award winners, MLB players and fellow coaches around the nation.
With this being Roberts’ 20th season in Cotuit, it makes him the Ketts longest-tenured coach ever, fifth longest in Cape Cod League history.
50 years later, the manager stands as one of the great coaches in UNC Chapel-Hill and Cape Cod history. So, it’s safe to say that the decision he made in 1974 was the right one, as he’s brought winning to every team he’s touched, especially Cotuit.
It’ll be a special season for the Kettleers with Roberts at the helm as he tries to claim his fourth career CCBL (Cape Cod Baseball League) championship and the team’s 18th.
