JONESBORO, Ark. -- Keith Kessinger, a former professional baseball player and the son of baseball great Donnie Kessinger, is the new baseball coach at Arkansas State University, school officials announced Monday.

Keith Kessinger, 35, previously the head coach at Carson-Newman College, replaces Bill Bethea. Bethea retired last month after 11 years at ASU. Kessinger assumed his coaching duties immediately.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to be the head baseball coach,'' the former player and assistant coach at Ole Miss said. "I see a very bright future for ASU baseball.''

Bethea, 60, compiled a 311-310 record with the Indians, including the past season's 23-35 mark. Arkansas State has had four consecutive losing seasons.

The elder Kessinger, a native of Forrest City, was a high school football, basketball and baseball standout. He played major league baseball for 16 years, including for the Chicago Cubs. He coached his alma mater Ole Miss before retiring.

Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1989, the younger Kessinger played seven years with that team, the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago Cubs organizations.

He finished the 1993 season in the major leagues with the Reds. He singled on the first pitch in his first major league at-bat and finished the season at .257 with one home run.

After winning the regular season championship, the younger Kessinger was named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2002. At Carson-Newman, he has a 66-47 record over his two-season tenure.

His team was 27-28 last year and finished 39-19 this season. It reached the NCAA South Regional for the second time in the history of the school. The team also set or tied 18 individual or team records in two seasons.

Keith Kessinger's players hit 97 home runs which broke an old conference mark of 79 and was more than three times the total of the home runs scored in 2000. The 2002 team led the league in batting average, runs, hits, home runs, doubles, total bases and earned run average.

Prior to Carson-Newman, Kessinger was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Ole Miss for four seasons. Fifteen of his players were drafted or signed professional contracts. He helped guide the Rebels to three 30-win seasons in a row from 1998-2000.

Keith Kessinger was a standout basketball and baseball player for the Rebels and finished his career in the top ten in Ole Miss record book in hits, runs and doubles in a season. He was named All-Southeastern Conference second-team shortstop in 1989 and Academic All-SEC three times.

Outgoing athletic director Paul Griffin called him "a fine baseball coach.''

"His very name speaks of baseball and his experience as a coach, collegiate player and as a professional player brings instant credibility to the program.''

Keith Kessinger graduated from Briarcrest High School in Memphis, Tenn., in 1984 and received a bachelor's degree in managerial finance from Ole Miss in 1989.