Sports Hall of Fame (Baseball)

Biography

Don Hewlett grew up in a military family, which meant regular moves around the country. While his father was deployed in Vietnam, Don and his siblings started attending a Bible Church in St. Petersburg, Florida, and Don accepted Christ as his Savior. One by one, they all became believers. After graduating high school, Don enrolled at Bryan. He was an RA in his last couple years in the White Chapel dorm and he graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration in 1978.

While at Bryan, Don played baseball and caught every game for four years in both the spring and fall seasons. He was named MVP and received the Golden Glove three times. During his senior year, Don helped Coach Dixon by coordinating baseball practices until the basketball season was over. When volleyball became a varsity sport during his sophomore year, Don served as the first varsity coach for the Women’s Volleyball Team. That year, his team was second in the SCAC Conference, and he was named Co-Coach of the Year as the only student volleyball coach in the conference. The team went to the AIAW Tennessee State tournament in the small college division and finished second. The following year, he was named Coach of the Year when his team won the conference. The team also won the AIAW Tennessee College Championship for small colleges. During his senior year, he became an assistant coach when the College hired its first women’s coach.

After graduation, Don married his college sweetheart, Louise, and they had two sons, Ross and McCoy (Coy). He started his own landscaping business, where he worked for nine years before going to work for a nursery and landscaping company. His next move was to work for a structural steel fabricating company as an estimator (all those accounting courses paid off), and then he moved to a startup company generating construction reports. The company eventually spread into the Southeastern states and was sold, so he moved to Precision Grinding, starting as an estimator/salesman, and moving up to shop manager and a Vice President. Don retired a year and a half ago but continues to work part-time overseeing safety and OSHA compliance. His education at Bryan served him well, and the athletic experiences he had contributed to his management skills in the workplace.

Don has lived in Birmingham, Alabama, since graduating from Bryan. For more than 30 years, he and Louise attended Shades Mountain Church where Mickey Park (former Bryan College Trustee) was pastor. While there he served in many ways, such as Sunday school teacher, nursery volunteer, grounds maintenance, youth group, and deacon. He designed and installed landscaping and a playground that are still in place. More recently, he and Louise have been attending and joined Briarwood Presbyterian Church, a PCA church. Don enjoys his work, woodworking projects, renovating the house, and spending time with his family. He adores his four grandchildren, and attending little league baseball games has taken up most Saturdays during the spring season.