Warriors’ baseball coach Grant Palmer always knew that El Camino College would be his place.
After joining the program as a baseball player in 2012 and then assistant coach in 2017, Palmer’s long history at El Camino helped him propel himself into the top position on the Warriors’ coaching staff.
“From the moment I got here, [El Camino] just felt like home,” Palmer said.
Palmer was recruited to play at El Camino in 2012, by long-time coach Nate Fernley, after an injury during his senior year of high school left him without a team to play for.
Five years later, Palmer was eager to return to the program, this time as an assistant coach. It was an easy decision for him after having such a great experience playing under Fernley.
“My playing career was done, and by chance Fernley reached out to me to see if I’d be interested in coaching,” Palmer said. “I had nothing but respect for how he coached and built the program, so it was an easy yes for me.”
Before he got the call to help lead a successful Warriors squad, Palmer was a standout infielder at UC Irvine, where he helped the Anteaters make a run in the 2014 College World Series and played enough games to make him 11th in all-time games played.
Palmer reflected upon his time at UC Irvine and how it molded him into the coach he is today. He played under coach Mike Gillespie and credits him for teaching him valuable lessons about baseball.
“Having those four years and being able to play under Gillespie established a foundation and baseline of knowledge of the game that not only helped me as a player, but I take every day with me as a coach,” Palmer said.
Palmer also learned what it takes to win games while working as an assistant coach at Loyola Marymount University in 2023. There he worked with the outfielders and hitters and got to experience coaching at the Division I level.
Palmer commends the LMU team’s camaraderie and chemistry for playing a crucial role in the program’s success. Their mentality of wanting to see the next player succeed more than themselves is something that he wants to bring to El Camino.
“That squad was so successful because we were a great team surrounded by great people that genuinely cared about one another,” Palmer said. “My takeaway from [coaching at LMU] was surrounding yourself with the right people and seeing how that looks to learn for what kind of people I want to bring into my program here.”
After getting approved to become coach of the Warriors baseball team, Palmer brought two new faces to accompany him on the coaching staff.
Assistant coaches Jerry McClanahan and Zach Kirby are in their first year at El Camino but are already well acquainted with Palmer.
McClanahan had coached with Palmer for the Anchorage Bucs in the Alaska League in 2019, while also being a teammate of Palmer’s at UC Irvine.
McClanahan was also drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 2015, where he played three years in the minor leagues before going back to UC Irvine as an assistant coach.
“So far [my experience] has been good here at El Camino,” McClanahan said. “The kids all want to win… and I just try to give them something every day to make them better.”
Kirby was a pitcher at LMU when Palmer was coaching there. At LMU, Kirby earned a spot on the Second Team All-West Coast Conference with a 3.84 ERA in 14 starts and 82 innings pitched.
“[Palmer] was a great coach to play under last year, and he’s a great boss to work with now,” Kirby said. “I try to use all types of experiences I went through to teach this team the right way to play.”
Palmer gives his entire coaching staff credit and says they support him as coach each day. McClanahan and Kirby are already making their mark on the Warriors team.
“You can’t find a successful coach without good assistant coaches, and I knew that going in,” Palmer said. “The biggest thing I wanted was people that understood me and what I was trying to accomplish each and every day.”
Under Palmer and his new staff, the Warriors look to continue their recent success, with the main goal of winning a state championship. Palmer also emphasizes his players’ success off the field in academics and their ambitions to transfer to the schools they envision.
Warriors infielder Connor Meidroth is currently a sophomore and has seen the transition between coaches from previous coach Nate Fernley, who was the coach for 16 seasons and was hired to become the Cerritos coach after. Meidroth is committed to play at the University of San Diego for the 2025 season and praised Palmer for helping him get that opportunity.
“He’s helped me a lot,” Meidroth said. “He came in and got me the opportunity for [USD] to come watch me, and I thank him for everything he’s done for me.”
Palmer’s transition from assistant to coach has been a smooth one. The familiarity with the program and the school has given him a “great advantage” as a new coach.
Witnessing the successes of past Warriors squads has shown Palmer what it takes to build a similar team for himself.
“The goal is to always be as successful as we can,” Palmer said. “I want to continue the success that this program has had and continue to build on the direction that it’s going.”
