Dorner named new GM of Mariners

John Dorner knows how to manage a successful baseball program.

The Grand Lake Mariners hope that his success at St. Henry will carry over to the area's summer college baseball team.

The Mariners' board named Dorner the new general manager on Tuesday. Dorner replaces Celina graduate Kevin McGohan, who left to take an internship with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.

Dorner's name has been suggested during previous vacancies for the GM position. He thinks that now is the right time.

"The time seemed right. We've talked about it the past few years (but) I was still teaching," said Dorner via telephone on Tuesday evening. "I retired from teaching in June. … I wanted to be able to dedicate the proper time to the position, but wasn't able to until now."

Dorner will continue coaching boys golf and baseball at St. Henry. The Redskin golfers are playing in the Division III district tournament this week.

"I told my wife I'll take it one year at a time and we'll re-evaluate each year," Dorner said. "I still love to coach. If it's right for the family, I'll continue to do it."

In his first 29 years as head baseball coach at St. Henry, Dorner has guided the team to state championships in 1999, 2000 and 2003 and was named to the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014. Several of his players have gone on to play for the Mariners, including Neil Schmitz (2001-2003), Kris Moorman (2003-2005) and Jeff Paul (2015).

The Mariners have already gone to work getting the 2019 team together. Damon Haecker was signed as an assistant coach last season but took over as head coach when Jacob Burk left to take a collegiate coaching job in Missouri. Haecker will be back and is already recruiting players.

"I haven't seen the list since I just got the job," Dorner said. "As soon as golf is over, I'll get ahold of coach Haecker and find out where he stands and introduce myself.

"The offseason, from what I understand, is getting the revenue in line and getting updated in the league, which there will be some changes. Plus I have to get housing. There's a lot more during the offseason than most people would expect."

Dorner is hoping to raise the attendance at Montgomery Field in 2019 and beyond.

"One of my personal goals will be to find a way to make it family-oriented so people will want to come and watch, even if it only come a few times," said Dorner. "I think the Mariners have done that in the past and I hope to make it a stronger presence. At St. Henry, we've done promotional events for games. I'll have some ideas and I'll it past the board, but at the time, I don't have anything lined up yet."