WARREN, Mich. — Macomb Community College athletic director Bryan Rizzo has announced the hiring of Nick Caruso as the new head coach of the Monarchs baseball program. A proud alum of the program who most recently served as associate head coach, Caruso becomes the 18th head coach in Macomb baseball history.
“We are thrilled to elevate Nick to head baseball coach,” said Rizzo. “Nick’s knowledge of the game, his commitment to our student-athletes, and his deep ties to Macomb make him the ideal leader for the program. He has been instrumental in the team’s success both on the field and in the classroom, and I am excited to watch the program continue to flourish under his leadership.”
Caruso’s journey with the Monarchs began as a student-athlete, where he played two standout seasons (2016–2017). As a sophomore, he hit .337 and earned all-conference honors while helping lead Macomb back to the postseason.
Following his time at Macomb, Caruso transferred to NCAA Division I Youngstown State University, where he capped off a stellar collegiate career as a graduate senior in 2021 by starting in 47 of 50 games played while hitting .310 with nine multi-hit games and earning his second of two career Horizon League Batter of the Week honors. Caruso, a two-time Horizon League All-Academic Team honoree, earned a bachelor's in communication studies from Youngstown State in 2020 and secured a master's in professional communication from the institution in 2021.
After wrapping up his collegiate playing career, Caruso returned to Macomb as an assistant coach for the better part of three years (2021-2023), contributing to the program’s recent ascension before accepting an assistant coaching position at Ball State University in 2024, where he gained valuable experience on an NCAA Division I staff.
Most recently, Caruso came home to serve as associate head coach in 2025 under Taylor Grzelakowski, who departed this summer to join the coaching staff at Michigan State University after leading the program to its most successful stretch in 30 years. Last season, the Monarchs won a share of back-to-back MCCAA Eastern Conference Championships for the first time since the 1994 and 1995 seasons. The 2025 campaign culminated in the program's second postseason appearance in as many seasons, where the Monarchs earned a first-round sweep in the NJCAA Region XII Tournament.
In addition to his collegiate coaching and playing career, Caruso has competed and coached professionally in the United Shore Professional Baseball League (USPBL). He is a two-time USPBL Champion as assistant manager—one with the Birmingham Bloomfield Beavers in 2024 and another with the Utica Unicorns in 2023. He was a two-time All-Star as a player in 2021 and 2022, both with the Westside Wolly Mammoths.
Now in his fifth overall season with the USPBL and third on staff, Caruso currently serves as assistant manager for the defending champion Beavers.
Caruso expressed his excitement about the opportunity ahead and relayed that the ‘standard will remain the standard’ in the program.
“Macomb has always been home to me. I’m honored to lead the program that helped me reach my dreams as a player and a coach, and I look forward to providing the same exceptional experience for our current and future student-athletes."
“The standard remains. First and foremost, we are committed to helping our players achieve their dreams of playing at the highest level, and we will continue to do so through on-field development and a strong focus on academics. We will continue the program’s pursuit of championships through a team-first mindset and a challenging schedule that both develops our players for a postseason run and showcases their talent against top competition. I, along with our incredibly talented coaching staff, look forward to getting to work soon as we build toward an exciting 2026 season.”
