Summit native and former Southwest baseball player Justin Hay is in his third year as an assistant coach for the Bears. He returned home following two years as an assistant coach at Barton College (Wilson, NC).
 
With his assistance, the 2016 Bears had their first on-field winning record and produced some of their best offensive numbers in recent years. 

In his first season with the Bears, Hay helped guide the team to their first playoff appearance since 2006. Also in 2015, he helped the team pick up the only regular-season sweep of Hinds, ranked #1 in the NJCAA at the time.