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Chatham reveals 2026 coaching staff
The Chatham Athletic Association announced the 2026 Chatham Anglers coaching staff Wednesday. Dennis Cook, who skippered Chatham to its second-highest win total since 2019 last year, returns for his second season as A’s manager.
Cook, a former 15-year major leaguer and World Series Champion, returns to the Anglers in 2026 for his second season as Chatham’s manager. Cook led the A’s to their second-highest win total in six years in 2025 and oversaw a roster that featured four Cape League All-Stars. He served as Chatham’s pitching coach under former manager Tom Holliday for four seasons from 2018-2022, helping guide Chatham to an East Division title in 2018 and the division’s best record in 2019. Cook has also spent time as manager of the Greeneville Flyboys of the Appalachian League, the Polish National Team and the Mid East Falcons of Baseball United.
A two-time All-Southwest Conference pitcher and outfielder at the University of Texas, Cook’s major league career spanned from 1988 to 2002. He won the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins and appeared for the New York Mets in the 2000 Fall Classic. Cook has also served on coaching staffs in Sweden, Germany and Italy, and at Northwestern University.
A former 11-year MLB reliever and longtime coach, Jay Powell enters his second full season with the Anglers in 2026. He led a staff in 2025 that saw 14 different pitchers compile an ERA of 3.00 or below. Powell was Chatham’s interim pitching coach for a two-week period during the 2022 season. A Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer, he currently serves as associate head baseball coach and assistant softball coach at Jackson Preparatory School. Prior to joining the staff at Prep, Powell was the head coach for 13 years at Jackson Academy, where he skippered the Raiders to a state MAIS title in 2011.
A former first-round pick out of Mississippi State University, Powell was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the Florida Marlins, where he was teammates with Chatham manager Dennis Cook. He currently serves as an analyst on Mississippi State baseball radio broadcasts.
Brett Doe, the head coach at Tyler Junior College (Texas), returns to Cook’s staff for his second season with Chatham in 2026. Doe joined TJC before the 2025 season after three years as the head coach at Dodge City Community College (Kansas), where he racked up nearly 100 wins. Prior to leading the Conquistadors, Doe spent five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Navarro College (Texas). Doe helped lead his alma mater to the 2019 NJCAA Baseball World Series and a .646 win percentage.
An NJCAA National Champion as a player at Navarro, Doe moved on to play at Baylor University for two seasons in 2013 and 2014, where he was named a team captain. The Minnesota Twins drafted Doe in the 38th round of the MLB Draft in 2014. He played two seasons professionally before coaching.
Björn Johannessen, who currently serves as manager of the Sweden Senior National Baseball Team, joins the Chatham staff for his first season in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2026. A stalwart in Sweden national team lineups across decades, Johannessen also had a long professional career as a catcher spanning multiple countries, including Sweden and Germany. He played collegiately at Santa Barbara City College in California in 1998 and 1999.
A former all-conference infielder at the University of South Carolina Upstate and a team captain at the University of Michigan, Cole Caruso joins Chatham’s staff for the 2026 season. After graduating from Michigan in 2025, Caruso remained with the Wolverines program, where he currently serves as a hitting and infield development assistant under head coach Tracy Smith.
A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, and a graduate of Cactus Shadows High School, Caruso hit better than .280 across his four-year college career. He hit .319 as a sophomore at USC Upstate, earning all-conference recognition before he transferred to Michigan before the 2024 season, where he became a team captain and also received the team’s sportsmanship award in 2025.
Chatham opens its 2026 schedule on June 13 at Bourne.
Dennis Cook | Manager
Cook, a former 15-year major leaguer and World Series Champion, returns to the Anglers in 2026 for his second season as Chatham’s manager. Cook led the A’s to their second-highest win total in six years in 2025 and oversaw a roster that featured four Cape League All-Stars. He served as Chatham’s pitching coach under former manager Tom Holliday for four seasons from 2018-2022, helping guide Chatham to an East Division title in 2018 and the division’s best record in 2019. Cook has also spent time as manager of the Greeneville Flyboys of the Appalachian League, the Polish National Team and the Mid East Falcons of Baseball United.A two-time All-Southwest Conference pitcher and outfielder at the University of Texas, Cook’s major league career spanned from 1988 to 2002. He won the 1997 World Series with the Florida Marlins and appeared for the New York Mets in the 2000 Fall Classic. Cook has also served on coaching staffs in Sweden, Germany and Italy, and at Northwestern University.
Jay Powell | Pitching Coach
A former 11-year MLB reliever and longtime coach, Jay Powell enters his second full season with the Anglers in 2026. He led a staff in 2025 that saw 14 different pitchers compile an ERA of 3.00 or below. Powell was Chatham’s interim pitching coach for a two-week period during the 2022 season. A Mississippi Sports Hall of Famer, he currently serves as associate head baseball coach and assistant softball coach at Jackson Preparatory School. Prior to joining the staff at Prep, Powell was the head coach for 13 years at Jackson Academy, where he skippered the Raiders to a state MAIS title in 2011.A former first-round pick out of Mississippi State University, Powell was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of the 1997 World Series for the Florida Marlins, where he was teammates with Chatham manager Dennis Cook. He currently serves as an analyst on Mississippi State baseball radio broadcasts.
Brett Doe | Assistant Coach
Brett Doe, the head coach at Tyler Junior College (Texas), returns to Cook’s staff for his second season with Chatham in 2026. Doe joined TJC before the 2025 season after three years as the head coach at Dodge City Community College (Kansas), where he racked up nearly 100 wins. Prior to leading the Conquistadors, Doe spent five seasons as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Navarro College (Texas). Doe helped lead his alma mater to the 2019 NJCAA Baseball World Series and a .646 win percentage.An NJCAA National Champion as a player at Navarro, Doe moved on to play at Baylor University for two seasons in 2013 and 2014, where he was named a team captain. The Minnesota Twins drafted Doe in the 38th round of the MLB Draft in 2014. He played two seasons professionally before coaching.
Björn Johannessen | Assistant Coach
Björn Johannessen, who currently serves as manager of the Sweden Senior National Baseball Team, joins the Chatham staff for his first season in the Cape Cod Baseball League in 2026. A stalwart in Sweden national team lineups across decades, Johannessen also had a long professional career as a catcher spanning multiple countries, including Sweden and Germany. He played collegiately at Santa Barbara City College in California in 1998 and 1999.Cole Caruso | Assistant Coach
A former all-conference infielder at the University of South Carolina Upstate and a team captain at the University of Michigan, Cole Caruso joins Chatham’s staff for the 2026 season. After graduating from Michigan in 2025, Caruso remained with the Wolverines program, where he currently serves as a hitting and infield development assistant under head coach Tracy Smith.A native of Scottsdale, Arizona, and a graduate of Cactus Shadows High School, Caruso hit better than .280 across his four-year college career. He hit .319 as a sophomore at USC Upstate, earning all-conference recognition before he transferred to Michigan before the 2024 season, where he became a team captain and also received the team’s sportsmanship award in 2025.
Chatham opens its 2026 schedule on June 13 at Bourne.
