NEW ULM — Micah Degner, who has been the head baseball coach at Mankato East for the past seven seasons, is the new head baseball coach at Minnesota Valley Lutheran.

In his last years at the helm of the Cougars, Degner has guided them to two Section 2AAA titles. In this year’s Class AAA state tournament, the Cougars finished runners-up to Mahtomedi.

He will replace Jim Buboltz, who will be an assistant coach under Degner.

“Micah will also be coaching a second sport to be determined,” MVL Activites Director Craig Morgan said. “He will also be teaching algebra, geometry and statistics.”

Morgan said that Degner “will be a great asset to our school and to our baseball program and in anything else that he coaches. He is a very positive and motivated young man.”

And Degner is very familiar with MVL.

Degner attended MVL until the completion of his junior year.

“I actually graduted from St. Peter High School in 2006 and then graduated from MSU.”

Degner, who has been coaching at East, said that taking the MVL job came out of the blue in early May.

Degner was on the Wisconsin Synod Call List when he received a call to Minnesota Valley Lutheran to coach and teach.

“I had not been considering leaving Mankato,” he said. “But I prayed about it and thought it over — I was excited about it when they offered me the job. I would be able to teach in a place that matches my faith and values and where I can share my faith openly. There was nothing pushing me away from Mankato — I have all good things to say about the district, but I am just excited to teach at a Lutheran high school.”

Degner said that he wants to implement some of the things that he has at Mankato East.

“And there is a lot of growth and excitement about MVL right now with the school growing and the facilities and great kids and families,” he said. “So I am excited to bring the things that I have learned in the last few years coaching in a great competitive school, conference and section and bring those things here.”