The Charlotte County School Board voted unanimously Sept. 12 to approve Josh Barmoy as the new head varsity baseball coach at Randolph-Henry High School (R-H).

Barmoy was an internal candidate for the position, as Division Superintendent Dr. Nancy Leonard noted he has been part of the baseball coaching staff at Randolph-Henry for two years.

He was head coach of the school’s junior varsity baseball team last season, leading it to a 14-3-1 record, and he served as the varsity baseball pitching coach in 2016.

Barmoy was a standout pitcher at Chowan University where he played baseball 2010-14 as an undergraduate. He also played for the Niagara Power in the New York Collegiate Baseball League.

He earned his master’s degree in physical education at Longwood University and also was a volunteer assistant at Prince Edward County High School.

“I am appreciative of Mr. Barmoy’s willingness to serve as Randolph-Henry’s baseball coach,” Leonard said.

Sharing the goal for the varsity team moving forward, Barmoy said, “Our vision for the upcoming year is to be consistent with our attitude and in our effort and hold each other accountable each and every day.”

Randolph-Henry Principal Robbie Mason said the school is very fortunate to have someone of Barmoy’s ability to take on the role.

“Josh will do a fantastic (job) in all aspects of growing and developing our program, but especially in the area of player development,” Mason said. “Coach Barmoy is a great teacher of the game and does an excellent job developing players in the offseason. The offseason is essential for our players’ growth, and he will lead those efforts. I am excited to be able to offer Josh this opportunity. He is a person who is well-respected by our players, and he will work hard to build upon the rich traditions of Statesmen Baseball.”

R-H Assistant Principal and Athletic Director Chris Holt said Barmoy has demonstrated in the past two years that he is detail-oriented, runs highly organized practices, has solid game management skills and he invests in his players, making character development a high priority.

“Because of the way he went about his business and just watching the detail, the organization, the preparation, it really made him a true viable candidate that we interviewed,” Holt said, “and we really feel confident that he’s going to take what’s certainly a storied baseball program with a lot of history and certainly take it and run with it. And we anticipate him doing a great job.”

This leadership position of one of the most successful athletic programs at the school became open in July when the school board decided on a 6-1 closed-session vote to not approve the coaching stipend of J.R. Allen.

The decision reverberated strongly in the community as Allen had been a coach within Randolph-Henry’s highly-successful baseball program for 16 years — including the past five as head coach — and he also had served as the Central Middle School golf coach for the past 7-8 years.

Allen led the Statesmen to an 88-30 record, three conference championships, two James River District titles, one final-four state appearance and four regional appearances.

Leonard said in a previous interview that in accordance with Code of Virginia requirements, all personnel deliberations for offering a contract or stipend by the school board are made in closed session, and the basis for not offering a contract cannot be disclosed.

“School board members have the option, although not required, of disclosing their own personal reasons for not extending a contract, but they cannot report out of closed session and speak on behalf of the board as a collective nor release information regarding closed session discussions,” she said.