A Galesburg native and a Knox College hall of fame athlete is the new Prairie Fire head baseball coach.
Drake Sykes, an assistant baseball coach for the Prairie Fire this past spring, has been promoted to lead the Knox baseball program as its head coach following the 26-year tenure of Jami Isaacson.
“Drake embodies the values and competitive spirit of Knox baseball, and promoting him to head coach is a natural and powerful step forward for our program,” said Vice President and Director of Athletics Justin Newell. “A Knox-Lombard Hall of Famer and proud alum, Drake’s journey from standout student-athlete to program leader is a testament to his commitment, character and vision.
“He steps into this role prepared, inspired and grounded with a strong foundation built by those who mentored and shaped him. I am excited to see how he will honor that legacy while forging his own path.”
Regarding Isaacson’s departure, Newell tells WGIL, “During the season, it was determined that this would be Coach Isaacson’s final year leading the program. Coach Isaacson expressed his hope that Drake would have the opportunity to carry the program forward, and after thoughtful consideration, we are pleased to announce that Drake will assume the head coaching role and build upon that foundation.”
A Galesburg native who was a two-time All-American at Knox and inducted into the Knox-Lombard Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023, Sykes is in his second stint on the athletics staff having served as an assistant baseball coach for the 2019-20 academic year as well as the assistant softball coach in the spring of 2018.
Prior to his return to Knox, he spent two years as the graduate assistant coach at William Penn for the 2021 and 2022 campaigns, helping the Statesmen post a combined record of 59-39 over the two seasons. Sykes also earned a master’s in sports management in 2022 from the institution.
“I’m incredibly honored to step into the role of head coach,” Sykes said, “and I want to extend my sincere thanks to Coach Isaacson for the leadership and foundation he’s provided this program. I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue building on that legacy, and I look forward to working with these student-athletes as we grow together.”
While Sykes earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Knox College in 2017, he starred on the baseball diamond as a three-year letter winner, All-Midwest Conference Performer and team MVP. For his career, the outfielder hit a combined .452/.535/.742 (batting, on-base and slugging), setting school records with 173 hits, 284 total bases and a .535 on-base percentage. He swatted 35 doubles, eight triples and 20 home runs to go with 109 runs scored and 109 RBIs over 103 games. He also still holds single-season program records in hits (60), total bases (99) and on-base percentage (.583).
Twice the Knox College Harley Knosher Male Athlete of the Year, Sykes earned ABCA All-Region honors three times and was an ABCA/Rawlings All-America Second Team selection as a junior — while also being named the Midwest Conference South Division Player of the Year. As a senior, he was chosen for the All-America Third Team.
Sykes played professionally as well, spending time in the Australian Capital Territory Baseball League, hitting .463/.554/.642 in 27 games, leading the team in all three categories for the 2018-19 season.
