Damon Lessler joined the San José State University baseball program in July 2016 as an assistant coach.
Lessler comes to San José State from Cal Poly where he served as an assistant coach for the Mustangs program during the 2016 season.
Prior to coaching at Cal Poly, Lessler was an assistant coach at the University of Southern Mississippi in Conference USA.
At both stints, Lessler assisted with all areas of the game, including hitting, defense and base running as well as preparing scouting reports.
Prior to his time at Southern Miss, Lessler spent two and a half years serving as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Chico State, focusing his on-field coaching duties toward Wildcat infielders, hitters, and base runners for Head Coach Dave Taylor’s program.
The 2014 season saw Chico State post a 43-15 record and earn a trip to the NCAA Division II College World Series in Cary, NC. Chico State ranked first in Division II in overall fielding percentage at .977 in 2014.
Lessler’s first season at Chico State saw the Wildcats compile a 37-18 record in 2013 and reach the NCAA Division II West Region finals.
In 2012, Lessler spent a year as an assistant coach at Oakland (Mich.) University serving as the Golden Grizzlies' catching coach under head coach John Musachio. He coached MLB draft picks Jake Morton (Cleveland Indians), Hayden Fox (Miami Marlins) and Jake Paulson (Cincinnati Reds).
Lessler also served as the Associate Head Coach for the Bellingham Bells of the summer collegiate West Coast League in 2012.
As a player, Lessler was a shortstop at Castro Valley High School before going on to play collegiately at Mesa (Ariz.) Community College, Sonoma State and Mississippi Valley State. He played several years of professional baseball, including stints with the Sioux Falls Canaries, Fargo-Moorhead Redhawks and the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association and the Frontier League's Traverse City Beach Bums. Lessler also played abroad in Germany, Sweden and Australia as an imported American professional player before embarking on his coaching career in the fall of 2011.
Lessler received his bachelor's degree in mass communications from Mississippi Valley State in 2006, earning valedictorian honors at the university, before obtaining a master's degree in sports administration from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2007.