Ardrey Kell baseball coach leaves after three seasons, opening up one of NC’s top jobs

Ardrey Kell High School is looking for a new head baseball coach.

After three seasons, Sean Thomas has resigned to take a position as pitcher director for Concord’s X2 Baseball, a training facility founded in 2009 by Luke Hagerty, a former Major League player who was a first-round pick in 2002.

Thomas was hired in June 2021 to replace the legendary Hal Bagwell, who started Ardrey Kell’s program when the school opened in 2006 after rebuilding the program at South Mecklenburg.

Bagwell is now head coach at Indian Land High in South Carolina. Bagwell coached the Knights to a 2009 state championship and finals appearances in 2008 and 2018.

From 2007-21, Bagwell’s teams averaged nearly 22 wins per year.

When Bagwell left, Thomas was selected from a group of more than 40 applicants, six of whom were interviewed as finalists.

Born in Charlotte, Thomas coached at Providence High, Ardrey Kell’s chief rival, before taking the head job with the Knights. In his three seasons, Ardrey Kell was 50-29. Ardrey Kell went 10-14 last season.