Today we’d like to introduce you to Talmadge – Coach T Nunnari
Hi Talmadge – Coach T , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My Baseball Journey
My baseball journey began in Pensacola, Florida, where I was born and raised. I earned a scholarship to a small junior college in Alabama, where I played for two years before transferring to Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida. There, I continued my education and baseball career for another two years, ultimately earning a degree in Sports Management.
After college, I was preparing to move on from my playing career and had opportunities to intern locally with several sports organizations, including the Jacksonville Suns and the Jacksonville Sports Association. However, Major League Baseball had other plans—I was selected in the 9th round of the MLB Draft by the Montreal Expos. I spent seven seasons playing at every level of professional baseball, earning a brief opportunity to play in the Major Leagues in 2000.
In 2003, my playing career came to an end, and I transitioned into a sales and administrative role with the Pensacola Pelicans, a minor league baseball team. Over time, I learned the various systems required to run a minor league organization and eventually became Assistant General Manager, then General Manager, overseeing the entire operation.
At the time, Pensacola was undergoing significant revitalization efforts after Hurricane Ivan devastated the Gulf Coast. City officials collaborated with local leaders to rebuild and reinvigorate downtown Pensacola, with professional baseball playing a key role alongside education, military, maritime industries, and public spaces. Jacksonville served as a model city in this process, offering valuable insight and inspiration.
Through this initiative, Community Maritime Park was born. I found myself deeply involved in city meetings, public feedback sessions, presentations, and even a citywide vote, leading to the park’s eventual approval and construction. However, before the park officially opened in 2012, I decided to accept an offer from Jacksonville University to become an assistant baseball coach under my former head coach, Terry Alexander.
As with life, things don’t always go as planned—I was out of that job within two short seasons. In the meantime, I founded Coach T HitLab, hoping to create a baseball training program that could travel with me wherever life took me. I continued my Scouting and Coaching role for Baseball Factory, a company based in Maryland and whom I’ve worked with since 2002. This role took me across the country—to Jupiter, Florida; Cape Cod; Arizona; the College World Series; Pirate City; and the Jackie Robinson Complex in Vero Beach. I even had the opportunity to work internationally in Dubai and Qatar.
Currently, I am contracted out of Ponte Vedra to coach a local travel ball organization, Ponte Vedra Thunder, working with 13U–16U teams. I also provide small group lessons at various locations around town and volunteer with Walk-Off Charities, a free baseball clinic for local Duval County school kids. These camps provide each child with a baseball glove to keep, general instruction, and free registration to their local youth league if they choose to play—an incredibly impactful program.
Major League Baseball continues to invite me to participate in various youth camps across the state of Florida, allowing me to give back to the game that has given me so much.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Was it a smooth road? Not at all.
In my 10th-grade year of high school, I took a standardized test and scored in the 50th percentile—labeled as “average.” I was heartbroken and distressed by that label. It made me question whether I had any skills that were above average and, more importantly, how I could use them to earn a college scholarship. Academics weren’t going to get me there, and due to life circumstances, my family had to use the money they had saved for college on more immediate necessities.
Baseball was the one skill I felt confident in—not great, not elite, but good. Still, I said a little prayer and committed myself to maximizing my abilities, determined to create an opportunity for myself.
At every level I played, there were obstacles to overcome—getting benched, dealing with injuries, being released as a professional athlete, and later, transitioning into business without formal qualifications. I had to learn sales, marketing, budgeting, advertising, and even how to run an entire organization from the ground up.
Then came another challenge—moving to Jacksonville for a job, only to be let go after a year and a half, all while going through a divorce. The transition from Pensacola to Jacksonville was incredibly tough, both personally and professionally. But through every setback, I kept pushing forward.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Work? I’m a baseball coach—but I’d describe it more as my passion. Some might even call it a vacation, getting to be outside every day, working with baseball and softball players across the country.
Billy Graham once said, “A coach will impact more lives in a year than an average person will in their entire life.” I believe in that responsibility to my core. Families entrust me with the development of their greatest investment—their child—whether it’s through group lessons, team training, camps, scouting, or other programs.
I draw on my experience of playing from age 8 to 28, from Little League to the Major Leagues, and do my best to pass that hard-earned wisdom on. After my playing career, my skill set expanded to include the administrative and coaching sides of the game. I’ve been fortunate to collaborate with great mentors who helped shape my approach, allowing me to adopt and refine best practices from those who share the same passion for coaching.
Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
One thing I’ve always appreciated about playing and coaching baseball is the diversity of my teammates and fellow coaches. I’ve had the privilege of learning about new cultures, hearing different languages, and gaining a deeper appreciation for the world around me.
Traveling to different countries outside the U.S. gave me a new perspective on the opportunities we have here. Driving through various towns and cities allowed me to explore new places and see life from different angles. My teammates came from diverse backgrounds, each with their own languages, customs, struggles, and religions. Their experiences sparked my curiosity and desire to understand people on a deeper level.
I still keep in touch with many of the families I met along the way—people who opened their homes to me, invited me over for dinner when I had nowhere to spend the holidays or off days. Over time, they and my teammates became like family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.coachthitlab.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tnunnari38/?igsh=NGpoam1rc2Y1ZmE0&utm_source=qr#
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tnunnari38
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/talmadge-t-nunnari-0a152482/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: https://x.com/tnunnari38?s=11
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089604522503
