BEMIDJI -- Bemidji State baseball head coach Tim Bellew will leave his post and move into an administrative role within the athletic department, athletics director Tracy Dill announced Thursday. Dill announced a reorganization within the athletic department that will “include a change in baseball leadership,” the release said.
Bellew has spent 16 years as the Beavers’ head coach while also carrying out various other duties within the athletic department. He will take on an administrative role with oversight of event management and concessions, while expanding community involvement opportunities.
An announcement regarding the future leadership of the BSU baseball program will be made at a later date, the release said.
“I can’t thank Tim enough for the job he has done over the past 16 years,” Dill said in a statement. “He has served the BSU baseball program and our student-athletes very well, while reconnecting and reinvigorating a dedicated alumni base.
“The work ethic that he has exhibited while wearing many hats within our department has been second to none. … Tim’s unique skill set allows him to lend expertise to our department in a variety (of) situations and we are excited for his continued leadership for BSU Athletics.”
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Bellew arrived at BSU in 2006 and finishes his tenure ranked second in program history in wins (228), games coached (719) and seasons coached (16). In 2013, he became the second coach in program history to be named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Coach of the Year and led the Beavers to their first NSIC Tournament title game since 2002.
“First I have to thank my wife, Pam,” Bellew said in the release. “She has put up with me as a coach for 30 years. She has given up a lot for me and been a rock for our family through all of this.
“From my standpoint, is this an easy decision? No. I still love baseball and I am going to miss working with our players every day. But they say you know when it is time. … I knew from the time the season started that it was probably my time to move on and let somebody else take over. Thirty years is a long time.”
Bellew began his coaching career in 1993 as an assistant at Kansas Wesleyan, where he played before graduating in 1987. He assumed head coaching duties in 1995 and led KWU to National Small-College Athletics Association national championships in 1997 and 1999, winning NSCAA Coach of the Year honors both years.
Since his first season at Bemidji State in 2006, Bellew compiled a record of 228-490-1. BSU finished the 2021 season at 8-32 overall and 7-28 in NSIC play.
During Bellew’s tenure, 20 Beavers were named to the NSIC All-Conference Team, including eight first-team selections. Four players earned all-region honors. Catcher Zach Braun (2012) and pitcher/utility player Logan Kalis (2013) garnered All-American honors.
The program produced 98 Academic All-NSIC honorees during Bellew’s run as coach.
“Looking back, I am most proud of seeing our players develop, be successful, and get their degrees,” Bellew said. “We may have struggled a little bit the last couple years, and our conference is as tough as it has ever been, but our players have never quit. They have continued to work hard to get better and make our program better every day.
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“Now looking ahead, I have always given 100-percent in everything I have done. Being a part of this department and working with our staff has been a highlight of my tenure at Bemidji State. Now I am excited to do all that I can, wherever I am needed, to simplify things in our department.”
