Bio

Hayden Tapper joined the Mountaineers as the Hitting Coach and Recruiting Coordinator in 2023. He comes from Jackson State Community College where he retained the same title while also adding Director of Baseball Operations, Player Development, and Strength and Conditioning for all sports. Prior to his time at Jackson State, Tapper was the Assistant Hitting Coach, Outfield Coach, and Head JV coach at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon, GA. He spent a short stint as the Hitting Coach at his alma mater, Desoto Central High School, winning the high school's first National Championship.

Tapper had a successful high school career and was ranked as the top first baseman in the state. He led his team to a state championship in his senior year. After high school, Tapper went on to play at Coahoma Community College where he was named team captain twice. Academically, he was the Honor’s College vice president as a freshman and was promoted to president his sophomore year. Tapper spent the summer in Amarillo, TX, where he was named first-team Panhandle All-Conference. He then went on to play at Blue Mountain Christian University where he started for the next two years. His teammates and coaches appointed him as the SSAC Male Representative for the Athletic Student Leadership Council. Academically, Tapper was elected Physical Education vice president and once again promoted to president the following year. Tapper graduated from the CCC with an associate's degree in athletic training/sports medicine and earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from BMCU. He then went on to attend Arkansas State University where he received his master's degree in sports administration.