Burton Steps Down from Baseball to Lead Reinhardt Athletics

(Story provided by Reinhardt Athletic Communications)

WALESKA, Ga. - Reinhardt University announced Wednesday that Interim Director of Athletics Jonathan Burton will be named as the new full-time Director of Athletics beginning on July 1st, 2025. Burton, who is currently the Head Coach of Reinhardt Baseball, will finish his role through the remainder of this season. The NAIA Baseball season continues through the month of May, which concludes with the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. 

Burton has been the Head Coach of Reinhardt Baseball since the 2019 season, and he has accumulated a record of 217 wins and 116 losses in 6 seasons. His head coaching career began in 2009 at Trevecca Nazarene for three years before being hired by Lindsey Wilson University in Kentucky in 2012. With the Blue Raiders Burton guided the team to back-to-back NAIA World Series appearances in Lewiston, Idaho (2015-16). The Blue Raiders finished the season ranked No. 6 in the NAIA Baseball Coaches' Top 25 Poll – the highest national ranking in team history – with a 44-25 record. Burton was named the 2016 ABCA/Diamond NAIA Regional Coach of the Year. This was his second time receiving this award after garnering the honor in 2015, where he led the Blue Raiders to the program's first-ever appearance in the World Series and earned the highest ranking in team history at No. 10, before breaking it the following season. 

While at Reinhardt, Burton has had a winning program each year he has been the head coach. The program has been nurtured and developed into one of the top programs in the NAIA. Ken White Baseball Field has also been transformed into one of the top NAIA baseball facilities in the country under his guidance.  Burton had one of his most memorable runs as the Reinhardt head coach in 2024 as he led the program to its most successful season in program history. The team shattered long-standing records at the NAIA World Series, blasting 30 runs in one game while also winning the Regular Season AAC Conference title for the first time in school history. Not to be outdone, Reinhardt hosted its first-ever NAIA Opening Round and swept through the Waleska bracket clinching its second trip to Lewiston, Idaho for the NAIA World Series. While at the World Series Reinhardt won their first three games only to drop their final two, ending a historical championship run and finishing 3rd with an overall record of 44-18, breaking the program's win total in a single season.

 Coach Burton leaves the program in remarkable shape as he takes on the new role of Director of Athletics. He will take the experience and knowledge of running a collegiate program over the past seventeen years into his new role of leading the Reinhardt athletic department. Advancements and improvements to facilities at the different campus locations have already started. His work and management that he has done at Ken White Baseball Field will carry over to all facilities as his time here continues. 

Burton had this to say about moving into his new role, "This was a very tough decision, but it was the right decision. Baseball has been a part of my life since my childhood, but now it's time to be more present with my kids and family.  God has provided clarity that my time as a baseball coach has passed, but my time in administration and leadership is just getting started. I am excited to take on this opportunity of leading our department in ways that will allow Reinhardt to reach its full potential. I am thankful to our president, Dr. Mark Roberts, that he is showing trust in me as a first-time athletic director. I know he can see my love for this institution, and I look forward to making him and our coaches proud."

"I would also like to thank former AD Jeffrey Pourchier and Bill Popp for their guidance and support over my seven years as the head baseball coach here, in helping me be prepared for this moment. The most important thing to me in all of this is my family, and I get to stay in an area we love and at an institution we believe in. Our kids have grown up here, have made friends here, and those things mean more to us than words can describe. Reinhardt has become our second home, and I want to help our coaches and student-athletes reach their full potential that is measured well beyond the scoreboard. Let's build together and see what we can do when we are all pulling on one end of the rope. Go Eagles!"

With his final season yet to be completed, In 16 seasons as a head coach Burton has coached (44) first-team All-Conference players, (31) second-team All-Conference Players, (12) NAIA All-Americans, (6) NAIA World Series All-Tournament players, (13) MLB Draft/Independent affiliated players, (53) NAIA Scholar Athletes, (156) All-Conference Scholar Athletes. He has managed (4) Conference Title championships, (8) NAIA Opening Rounds, (3) NAIA Opening Round Championships, and (3) NAIA World Series appearances. The 2025 team currently stands at 18-4, and number 6 in the NAIA. He also holds an overall record of 564-345, in his 16 completed seasons. Burton also serves as the NAIA- BCA president for the 2025 season, while also working as a national rater and selection committee member over the past seven seasons.

Coach Burton will remain the Head Coach of the program until the end of the 2025 season and has announced that current Assistant Coach Brett Lindsey will be named as his replacement to lead Reinhardt Baseball. The transition will take place on July 1st, 2025, at the same time Burton takes on his new full-time role as the University's Athletic Director.