Both Lehi assistant coach Matt Bezzant and Spanish Fork head coach Jim Nelson have a reason to celebrate.

Bezzant received a promotion and Spanish Fork coach Jim Nelson received a national award.

On Tuesday, Bezzant, who worked as an assistant coach for the last two years at Lehi, was given the head coaching position at Lehi. Bezzant, 24, takes over for Jason Flinders, who resigned after the season. Bezzant will teach history and take over a program that went 20-7 last year and will now face the challenge of competing at the 5A level next year in the same region as baseball powers such as Bingham, Riverton, American Fork, Pleasant Grove and Lone Peak.

“I feel pretty good. I’ve been here the last two years and we’ve been successful. Last year we won over 20 games and I don’t think that’s happened in Lehi for over 30 years. It’s a step in right direction. I just hope I can continue that,” Bezzant said. “I hope to make Lehi a place where kids can come and play baseball, where we can help them become college and professional players and live out their dreams.”

Bezzant will have his hands full competing at the 5A level with a team that returns no starting pitchers and just a handful of position players who have varsity experience.

“We lost a lot. We do have Tyson Webster back, who was our leadoff hitter. Kade Evans and KJ Griffith, who led team in batting average will also be back, but we have just one pitcher (Cameron Lux)who has any varsity experience and he pitched just one inning. The focus in summer will be to see who can get job done. This summer we will have a lot of guys are pitching. It (pitching) will be our biggest weakness going into next year, hopefully find guys who can throw strikes and make it strength.”

Nelson doesn’t have to worry about pitching deficiencies. He will be back to coach a team that won its third straight state title and returns two of the top pitchers in the state in Kayden Porter and Brady Corless.

Nelson has created a dynasty and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Nelson found out he last week that he was named National Coach of the Year by the American Baseball Coaches Association. He became just the second Utah baseball coach to receive the honor. The other was former Pleasant Grove coach Jon Hoover, who won the award when he coached at Cottonwood.

“It’s pretty flattering and it’s quite an honor, not just for me but for the players and the program, for the community of Spanish Fork and state of Utah,” Nelson said. “I will get the award at the coaches convention in January, which will be in Anaheim, California. As a coach you’re not looking to win awards, you want to win state championships and to win national tournaments. To me it’s just reflection of baseball program. Good coaches are made by good players and we have always had good players and such great support from community.”

Spanish Fork is coming off a 29-3 season and in addition to winning the 4A state tournament, the Dons finished ranked in the top 10 nationally.

Nelson, 54, has a son named Brock, who is s sophomore. He said he plans on coaching Brock through high school and then retiring.

“You only have to put up with me for three more years,” Nelson said with a laugh. “I’ve already decided that I’ll be done after that.”

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