Tyler Dawson - Baseball Coach - Air Force Academy Athletics

Tyler Dawson

Title:
Assistant Coach

Tyler Dawson enters his third season in the Air Force dugout in 2025 following a 27-28 season in 2024. Dawson helped the Falcon hitters to a .286 team batting average and an .852 OPS.

Under Dawson, the Falcons to an 18-12 Mountain West record ro reach the first Regular Season Championship title in program history. Air Force hitters posted a team batting average of .286 and a .468 slugging percentage. At the plate, Air Force hit 64 home runs, the sixth best in Falcon history, 105 doubles, 20 triples, and totaled 332 RBIs, while also drawing 224 walks. The Falcons saw five Mountain West All-Conference selections, including Co-Player of the Year, Jay Thomason, and Second Team honorees, Sam Kulasingam and Chase Spencer. Dawson saw Sam Kulasingam (Kansas City Royals, 13th round) and Jay Thomason (Minnesota Twins, 17th round) drafted by the MLB after working with these athletes for multiple seasons. Kulasingam graduated as the Academy’s all-time hit leader, tallying 305 career hits and tying for the all-time doubles leader with 77, while finishing his time as a Falcon with a .377 batting average and the third-best on-base percentage in Mountain West
history, .470. Thomason holds the Mountain West all-time home run record with 58 career long balls and became the only Falcon to record multiple seasons of at least 21 home runs to lead the conference for the second consecutive year.

Working with hitters and infielders, Dawson saw Sam Kulasingam nab his second-consecutive Tony Gwynn Mountain West Player of the Year honor after slashing a staggering .426/.537/.655 in 59 games. Kulasingam reached the 100-hit mark for the second-consecutive season in 2023, compiling a program record-tying 28 doubles, while producing more than twice as many walks (50) than strikeouts (24). His 50 walks are also a single season program record, eclipsing none other than Mike Kazlausky's previous program-high of 44 walks set in 1989. As well, Kulasingam is the only player in Air Force history to record multiple 100-hit seasons.

Under Dawson, Trayden Tamiya earned the first national Gold Glove award in Air Force history. The Hawaiian's .992 fielding percentage was easily the highest mark among all Mountain West middle infielders, as Tamiya recorded just two errors in 243 chances at second base. Also responsible for 26 double plays, Tamiya's 164 assists were second in the Mountain West, trailing teammate Aerik Joe by a single out despite 26 fewer fielding opportunities.

Dawson also aided Jay Thomason to an incredible 2023, as the left-handed slugger clubbed 21 home runs to tie Mark Frankenberg for the most home runs in a single season in program history, becoming the first player in program history to record 20+ home runs and 20+ doubles. His 21 homers were the most by any player in the Mountain West in 2023.

On August 9, 2023, Air Force baseball head coach Mike Kazlausky announced the addition of Dawson to the 2023 coaching staff.

"I am so excited to be joining the coaching staff here at the Air Force Academy," said Dawson. "The guys here have committed to serving all of us at all costs, and getting the opportunity to serve them is one of the coolest things I may ever get to do."

Dawson was among the youngest head coaches in the country at Cleveland Community College where he led the Yetis baseball program from 2022-23. As well as serving as head coach, Dawson also was tasked with producing the strength and conditioning objectives of both the baseball and softball programs. His duties also included the development of hitters and infielders, recruiting, scheduling, and sports information responsibilities.

"I'm so thankful for Coach Kaz, Jimmy (Roesinger), and Ryan (Forrest) for bringing me into their family and giving me the opportunity to help grow these young men through the game of baseball," Dawson said.

At Cleveland Community College, Dawson played a large role in building the foundation of a start-up baseball program. In 2022, only the second year of the Yetis existence, Cleveland Community College finished second in the Region 10 DII Tournament, ending the spring with a 31-23 record.

Prior to his time in Shelby, N.C., Dawson was the Director of Operations for Big League Camp, a baseball and softball sports and lodging facility on Lake James, N.C. There, Dawson managed the schedule for the facility as well as teaching hitting, and speed and agility classes for high school and collegiate athletes.

Dawson worked as an assistant coach in the Coastal Plain Summer Collegiate League in the summer of 2019. With the Edenton Steamers, Dawson held the title of hitting coach while also assisting the development of the outfielders. Dawson also served as the head coach of Blacksburg (Va.) High School's baseball program in 2019.

From 2016-17, Dawson was a member of the softball coaching staff at Virginia Tech, primarily working as the program's strength and conditioning coach. His coaching stops include time spent with the Park City Rangers of the Kansas Collegiate League as well as Limestone University (S.C.).

Dawson graduated from Bridgewater College in 2016 with a Bachelor's Degree in Exercise Science. At Bridgewater College, Dawson played both baseball and football for the Eagles. This summer, he completed his Master's Degree in Sports Administration with an emphasis in Kinesiology at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

A native of Amherst, Va., Dawson is certified as a strength and conditioning specialist by the NSCA, as well holding certificates from USA Weightlifting and USA Baseball.