Former ICC All-American returns as assistant baseball coach

Former ICC All-American returns as assistant baseball coach
Adam Gore/LetsGoICC.com

FULTON, MS – Justin Bryant was one of the most decorated student-athletes in the illustrious history of Itawamba Community College baseball program.

Now the former National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-American is returning to the ICC Family as the Indians' new assistant baseball coach as announced on Tuesday.

"It feels great to be back at ICC," Bryant commented. "Being in junior college it's just a grind because everyone wants to excel and go to the next level. It was fun while I was here and it's great to be back at ICC to get back in the dog fight with Coach Collier."

The Oneonta, Alabama native went 3-2 while striking out 37 in 40.1 innings pitched while batting .455 with 21 doubles, 11 home runs and 75 RBI to help lead the Indians to a Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges (MACJC) championship and earn 2009 First Team MACJC All-State and All-American honors in his final season at ICC.

As a freshman, he batted .361 with seven home runs and 48 RBI while going 1-0 on the mound for Coach Collier and the Indians.

"We are excited to have a guy like Justin be part of our program again," said ICC head coach Rick Collier. "He was one of the key guys that helped us make our state championship run and went on to have an outstanding career at Auburn. I feel like he'll bring tons of excitement and be able to share valuable experience when it comes to preparing our guys for the next level."

After his highly-decorated career at ICC, Bryant played at the University of Auburn where he hit .323 with four doubles, a triple, five home runs and 32 RBI while scoring 27 runs and playing all three infield positions as well as left field as a junior.

He most notable moment at Auburn came in the Tigers' 20-3 win over the University of Georgia when he drove in eight runs on a double and a pair of home runs. His batting gloves from that game was enshrined in The College Baseball Hall of Fame.

Bryant earned a medical redshirt his senior season after undergoing Tommy John surgery and returned in 2012 to hit .295 with four home runs with a 6-1 record and eight saves on the mound.

During his prep playing days at Oneonta High School, he hit .455 with 16 home runs, 72 RBI and 21 doubles while going 18-1 with 109 strikeouts in 87 innings of work to earn his second-straight First Team All-State honor. He was also a four-time powerlifting champion.

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