Jeremy Knight decided to give up his job with the Asheboro ZooKeepers. (PJ Ward-Brown/Randolph Record)
ASHEBORO – Jeremy Knight has stepped away from his roles with the Asheboro ZooKeepers.
After guiding the Coastal Plain League baseball team for two seasons, he decided to resign as head coach and co-general manager.
“It was becoming too much with two kids,” he said, calling it a family decision. “This year wore me out.”
Knight’s record with the college summer team was 37-56, including a league-worst 14-33 mark this season.
He’s returning to a teaching position at Southern Alamance High School.
“It wasn’t because we didn’t have a great season,” Knight said of the change.
Knight, 37, has been a regular with college summer baseball, including time in the Virginia-based Valley Baseball League before joining the then-Asheboro Copperheads (before the nickname change).
“It’s time to be a dad a little bit more,” said Knight, who lives with his wife and two children in Whitsett.
Knight was supposed to be an assistant coach for the 2020 Asheboro team, but that season was cancelled because of the pandemic. Then he became the head coach for the past two seasons, also holding administrative duties.
He wrapped up his time with the ZooKeepers during the past weekend aiding operations for the American Legion’s Southeast Regional at McCrary Park.
He’ll remain involved in baseball at Southern Alamance, returning to a role as an assistant coach that he held in the past. He’ll also be back in a role as a teacher for exceptional children.
Southern Alamance coach Jason Smith is the father to Maddux Smith, a Davidson pitcher who was on this year’s ZooKeepers team.
