A familiar face to some is back in the fold in time for the start of the 2025 season as former Mt. Hope High School standout Josh Hunt takes over as the new Huskies' baseball coach this spring.

A 2013 MHHS graduate, who played both baseball and football as a Husky, Hunt becomes the fourth person to guide the program in the last three seasons. He directly replaces Ben Emond, who, himself, dealt with some tumult a year ago. Emond, a teacher in the East Providence School District and very successful coach at the Junior American Legion Baseball level, was unable to commit to return due to personal reasons.

So in steps Hunt, a captain for the Huskies in both football and baseball his senior seasons. Hunt was a tight end/defensive end on the gridiron in the fall then a first baseman/pitcher in spring on the diamond.

For Hunt, the Mt. Hope job is his first of significance as a baseball head coach. He previously spent a handful of years assisting Joe Simeone at Kickemuit Middle School. He also led fall-ball teams in Warren.

College and the start of his professional career took him away from the game and instruction. Now, almost a decade later, he did not want to pass up the chance to get back in the arena and especially at his alma mater.

"It's something that kind of itched at me all along," Hunt said. "I always thought I would get back in when the time was right and the right opportunity presented itself, and this is the time."

Hunt is joined in the dugout by his life-long friend and former fellow MHHS baseball captain Louis Costa, who was his best man at his wedding and whom he called his "right-hand man" in coaching.

"He's indispensable to me. If he couldn't coach along side me, it would have been difficult for me to take the position," Hunt said of Costa. "He just balances me out well, not just in my personal life, but also as a coach. Our strengths and weaknesses kind of make up for each other. We've basically worked in tandem our entire lives."

Hunt takes over a Mt. Hope program that has been on a steady decline in the three seasons since it made the move up to compete in the state's top tier, Division I. The Huskies went a very respectable 11-7 in their first year at the elite level, then dropped to 9-9 before bottoming out at just 2-15 in 2024.

"I think there's been talent in this program throughout the years, but I definitely think at this point in time it's amongst the strongest it's ever been," Hunt said. "Last season is last season. I wasn't around for that. But it was a sophomore and junior-heavy team. They got a lot of Division I experience. They're a year older and a year stronger.

"And I know in Bristol and Warren there's a very rich baseball culture. People around here absolutely care about the game. I believe we have the talent here that we could at some point and time mimic in the near future what the Kingstowns (North and South Kingstown High School) have going right now."

Hunt is seeking to mirror the success of the fellow public schools in the Skippers and Rebels, who have each won a state title in the last six years. N.K., in fact, won back-to-back championships in 2021 and 22.

To get there, Hunt said he wants his team to play with a renewed passion for the game. It's something he's already emphasized in his brief time with the club.

"I relayed this message just the other day to my players. Every team I've been around, that I coached has had energy," Hunt said. "The way we're going about constructing this team and how we're preparing them to take the field is based on energy. I want this group to have a personality. I almost want them to be pest for our opponents.

"Of course, wins make everybody happy. Wins solve all problems. But at the end of the day, this is not a job for our players. This is still high school ball. This is an opportunity to have a great time playing with the guys they've grown up with all their lives. In some cases this is the last opportunity for them to play the game of baseball at a competitive level. So, I want these guys to regain their love for the game. That enjoyment can be infectious and can lead to the success on the field, and that's what we're looking for."