TRINITY COLLEGE OF JACKSONVILLE ATHLETICS

Bio

Jon Copeland begins his 12th year at the helm of the very successful TCJ Eagles Baseball program. In 2025 the Eagles earned their eleventh trip to the postseason. The only season they have missed the postseason was 2020, due to covid. In 2025 the Eagles enjoyed another stellar winning season, in addition to eight players being named NCCAA All-Region, the program’s fifth Tournament Championship, their fourth Regional Championship, a Runner-Up finish at the College World Series, after the program’s second invitation to the CWS; and their third NCCAA All-American in junior LHP, Jacob Brigman, who was one of the nation’s leaders in wins, Ks, and ERA.  The season was typical for Copeland and TCJ, with multiple team championships and individual player accolades.  

In 2014, Coach Copeland received the honor of starting and building the new Trinity Baptist College (now Trinity College of Jacksonville) Eagles baseball program. The program’s first season in 2015 proved to be highly successful as the Eagles more than doubled the average number of wins for a first-year program. In the process, TBC was a semi-finalist in the NCCAA South Region, defeating multiple NCAA DII and NAIA programs, including the eventual Sun Conference Champions and the Sun Conference Pitcher of the Year, all while completing one of the toughest schedules in the NCCAA.

The 2014 season was not the first time that Coach Copeland was given the privilege of starting a new college baseball program. In 2011, Copeland started the program at Florida Christian College, and in their first two seasons, the Suns enjoyed one of the best program starts in college baseball history. In Copeland’s first year at FCC, the Suns ended their inaugural 2012 season with a winning record (including a regular season filled primarily with NCAA DII and NAIA opponents), a #2 national ranking, and a runner-up finish at the NCCAA College World Series. The 2012 Suns also produced the South Region Player of the Year, four All-Americans, six All-South Region players, and two All-National Tournament selections from the College World Series. In 2013, the Suns racked up an impressive season, once again building a winning record while finishing the season ranked #2 in the country and making it to their second consecutive regional final and finishing in third place at the NCCAA College World Series. FCC placed five players on the All-South region squad and had four players named All-American, with one selection to the All-National Tournament Team.

A native of Southern California, Jon played four years of collegiate baseball at Biola University in La Mirada, California, where he graduated with degrees in English and physical education. Upon graduation and after his playing career ended with stints in Texas and California — and in Europe with Athletes in Action — Jon spent the next eight seasons coaching in southern California at the high school level, five of them as a head coach — with three trips to the postseason.

Jon’s next stop was as an assistant coach/assistant head coach at his alma mater, Biola University, where he helped lead the Eagles to four consecutive GSAC Conference Championships, a #4 final NAIA ranking during the 2001 season, and a sixth-place finish at the NAIA World Series.

After Biola, Copeland spent one year at NCAA DI University of California-Irvine (where he completed a master’s degree in English and comparative literature) under the leadership of 2013 NCAA Div. I National Champion and UCLA Head Coach, John Savage.

In 2006, Copeland was named head coach at NCAA DII Nyack College in New York, where he turned a perennial losing program into a national contender in only three seasons. Copeland compiled an impressive list of accomplishments while at Nyack, most notably a semifinal finish at the NCAA DII CACC Championship Tournament, consecutive NCCAA Regional appearances, a #4 national ranking, and an invitation to the NCCAA College World Series. He also produced a CACC Player of the Year, a CACC Pitcher of the Year, nine All-CACC players, six NCAA Division II All-Region players, 10 NCCAA All-Region players, and a NCAA DII All-American — all during the most honored three seasons in Nyack College baseball history. Jon was then given the opportunity of spending the ‘09- ‘10 season as an intern assistant coach at NCAA DI powerhouse Vanderbilt University (D1 National Champions in 2014 and 2019) under the tutelage of legendary coach, Tim Corbin.

Jon has surpassed baseball coaching win #800 and head coaching win #500 (which includes 16 out of 19 years at the collegiate level with non-scholarship programs facing schedules with 85-90% scholarship programs); he carries a .620 winning percentage. He has 28 winning seasons in 35 years of coaching high school and college baseball. Coach Copeland has eighteen former players who have been drafted or have signed professional baseball contracts, including three who have reached the Triple A level.

In addition to his career in coaching baseball, Jon coached high school football in Southern California for 10 years as an offensive coordinator and as a head coach. His teams compiled a record of 80-34 (.701) with 7 postseason appearances, including 5 league championships in a row.

In addition to his MA in English and Comparative Literature, Jon also holds a MS in Sports Management.  Jon and his wife, the former Stephanie Nickel, have a son, Joshua (24), a graduate of Princeton University, and a daughter, Sydney (22), a recent graduate from The Theater School at DePaul University. Stephanie is a private voice teacher and a professional vocalist.