John Merkh enters his second season with the Neumann Knights baseball program and his fourteenth season of coaching at the collegiate level. Merkh serves as the Knights 3rd base coach and primarily works with infielders and hitters as well as coordinating the Knights recruiting efforts.
In the 2025 season, Merkh’s first year on staff, the Knights saw one of their best seasons in program history making it to the Atlantic East Conference Championship and finishing the second highest winning percentage in program history (.675). On top of the Knights success, multiple players broke offensive records this past season. Donovan Brooks broke the single season stolen base record (35). Brandon Colon also broke the single season doubles record (18).
Multiple Knight players also received ABCA awards in 2025. Joe Boccio was named to the ABCA Regional All Defensive Team in the infield posting a .981 fielding percentage with only 2 errors in over 100 chances. Brandon Colon and Thomas Carroll both were named to the ABCA All Region team for their offensive performances in 2025.
Three Knights received Atlantic East post season awards for their offensive performances as well. Brandon Colon and Thomas Carroll received All Atlantic East first team while Anthony Rakotz was voted to second team All Atlantic East. Thomas Carroll was voted unanimously the 2025 Atlantic East Player of the Year. To top of the Knights recognition, The Knight coaching staff was awarded 2025 Atlantic East Coaching Staff of the year.
Prior to arriving to Aston, Merkh served as the head assistant and recruiting coordinator at Rutgers Camden (2023-2024). He helped take the Scarlet Raptors to their first NJAC tournament appearance in over a decade. The Raptors broke numerous team records during his time there such as the single season walks record and single season doubles record.
Merkh is no stranger to the Atlantic East however, prior to his time with the Raptors he spent three years at conference rival Immaculata University as the head assistant and recruiting coordinator (2019-2022). During his tenure there, Merkh helped the Mighty Macs program become a prominent program in the Mid-Atlantic region. In 2022 the Mighty Macs broke their single-season record for wins with 29. The Mighty Macs also won the Atlantic East Conference for the first time in school history and hosted their first NCAA Regional. Immaculata also received votes in the D3 baseball poll for the first time in program history as the team broke various offensive records. Merkh and the rest of the Mighty Macs coaching staff were awarded the 2022 Atlantic East Coaching Staff of the Year.
Before Immaculata, Merkh served as the pitching coach at Stockton University in 2019. Merkh helped the Ospreys get off to their best start in school history (10-0) and coached a player who was the two-time NJAC Pitcher of the Week. The Ospreys also received votes in the D3 Baseball Poll for the first time in school history.
Merkh started his coaching career in June of 2012 as the pitching coach at Camden County College in Blackwood, New Jersey. In his first season at Camden County, the Cougars went on to win the Garden State Athletic Conference and finished as the Region XIX runner-up with a 38-7 record. After the 2013 season, Merkh was promoted to the head assistant position and recruiting coordinator position where he held that title until he was promoted to the Head Coach of the Cougars in the fall of 2016. Merkh coached various players who signed to play professional baseball as well as numerous NJCAA All-Americans. Merkh led the Cougars to back-to-back Region XIX Playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 the Cougars won 30 games in a single season for only the fourth time in school history.
Merkh graduated summa cum laude from Liberty University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. He resides in Atco, New Jersey, with his wife Brittany and his sons Jackson and Hunter.
