Wayne State University Athletics

UPDATED May 25, 2023

John Dombrowski will begin his 16th year as an assistant coach with the WSU baseball program in the fall of 2023.  He oversees the development and instruction of the catchers.

He has had the privilege to have been with head coach Ryan Kelley every step of the way since 2008.  Kelley is the school’s all-time winningest coach in its 82-year history (.616, 455-283-1).  His tenure has included eight NCAA Tournaments, 2010 and 2023 GLIAC Regular Season and Tournament Championships, and having never missed a selection to the GLIAC Tournament.  The program has won at least 30 games in nine seasons and 13 student-athletes have signed professional contracts including pitcher Hunter Brown in 2019 with the Houston Astros.

Prior to WSU, Dombrowski was an assistant coach at Macomb Community College (2005-08).  In his three seasons at Macomb, the team would post its highest divisional finish (third) in more than 10 years.  This would earn the Monarchs consecutive NJCAA Regional appearances. 

The St. Clair Shores native is very active in coaching, training, and mentoring amateur players and is in his fifth decade of coaching experience.  He has enjoyed measurable success in the recruitment and placement of local high school players into the college ranks as well as advancing them professionally. 

Since 2017, he has been a staple in the United Shore Professional Baseball League, an Independent league in Utica, Mich.  As an assistant coach, he helped the Utica Unicorns and manager, Jim Essian, to back-to-back championships in 2019 and 2020.  In 2021, he was named Co-Manager of the Westside Wooly Mammoths.  In 2022, he was named Co-Manager of the Eastside Diamond Hoppers.  In 2023, he was named manager of the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers. He also serves the league as the catching and infield development coach.

Dombrowski attended Macomb Community College and Saginaw Valley State University.  He and his wife, Brenda, have two daughters, Allie and Megan.