For the past 22 years, Denis Ahearn has devoted himself to coaching baseball at Centennial High School, and after the 2024 season, the end has inevitably arrived as he decided it was time to hang up the cleats for good.
Ahearn first took the head coaching job at Centennial in 2003 as a young 26 year old, which would only be the beginning of his lengthy tenure. He came into the school with a baseball background, playing for his high school team in Mamaroneck, New York as well as coaching the Mamaroneck JV team briefly.
Taking over an already strong baseball program, Ahearn had immediate success at Centennial. After securing the county championship in his first season, Ahearn took it a step further the next year, bringing home a state title for the Eagles in 2004, only his second season with the team. The Eagles continued this success under Ahearn, winning 5 county championships in 5 seasons, and getting a state finals appearance in 2007. After a drought in titles and some up and down seasons over the course of the 2010’s, the Eagles were able to capture another regional title in 2021.
The level of success that Ahearn had in his tenure is a result of building high quality relationships with his players while demanding their absolute best. Throughout his 22 years with the program there were some highs as well as some lows, but Ahearn remained consistent in his approach, and always put his players before everything. He remembers the great memories that he had with his players and values those experiences.
“I think the best thing was the relationships that I’ve built with my players over the years,” Ahearn said. “I’m still in contact with tons of them. I’ve gone to weddings, been in weddings, congratulated some of my players on having kids.”
He also had the immense privilege of being able to coach both of his sons, Qwynn and Cade, as they came up through the program. Ahearn was able to win the region championship in 2021 with Qwynn and Cade on the team, and each playing a big role. Both sons are now in college playing Division I baseball at the highest level, Cade at Leigh, and Qwynn at UPenn, respectively.
“My sons interacted with the program from the time they were very little. As they grew older they eventually became bat boys and then for them to play in the program. It was a wonderful experience for me to be able to help them grow but also to experience everything with them from inside the dugout.“
For Ahearn, his sons played a big role in his decision to retire. His youngest, Cade, graduated in 2024, making it a natural ending. With both of his sons playing in college, Ahearn wanted to be able to travel and watch them in person, but balancing that with coaching would have been impossible.
“I didn’t know that I could chase my sons while devoting that same energy to the kids currently on the team… Honestly I had seen it coming for so long it was pretty much an obvious decision for me.”
Ahearn also acknowledges the impact of the graduating class of 2024 season had in his decision.
“I had also in the 2024 class three other players that I had taken from freshman year to senior year, and all of those different factors combined to make it an obvious point where it was a smart time to walk away.”
Among those seniors was Zach Harris, who grew from a young freshman on Varsity to the eventual Howard County Pitcher of the Year in 2023. Harris attributes his success on the field to the leadership and guidance of Coach Ahearn.
“Ahearn was very positive and always gave us confidence. Even if we didn’t have as much experience as others, he still told us to go get it and he trusted us. That allowed us to play free and enjoy the game,” Harris stated.
Harris also describes Ahearn as someone who put “so much effort and focus into the program.”
Current Centennial baseball player Carter Bade, a junior, looked up to Ahearn, not only as a coach, but as a person as well. Bade saw Ahearn as a role model that wanted the best out of his players while knowing that his players wanted the best from him.
“He represented someone that everyone should aspire to be and someone that you could always go to if you needed anything.”
The common theme in talking to his former players was that Ahearn was somebody who expected an elite level of effort and attention to detail from his players, but was always there for them when they needed something. Ahearn was never in it for himself. He did it for his players, community, and school, which is why he will leave a lasting impact on the Centennial baseball program.
“It has been a tremendous privilege and just a great experience overall. It has given me the opportunity to really become a part of the Centennial community,” Ahearn said.
Although Ahearn has thrown in the glove, his presence will still be felt throughout the building as he continues to teach U.S. History and his widely popular Sociology and Ethics elective courses. Ahearn has also taken over coaching the freshman girls volleyball team, which will keep him busy during the fall, but still offers the opportunity to watch his sons play in the spring.
The Centennial baseball program will be taken over by Steve Frederick, a former Centennial player who has coached Varsity baseball at Wilde Lake for the past 6 years. Ahearn believes that Frederick is the best person to take his place and continue to build the program.
“He has history and a love for our program,” Ahearn said, “and I don’t think there is going to be anybody as invested in maintaining the high standards that we have created here.”
Coach Ahearn will always be remembered for his drive, will to win, and his positive impact on the players he coached. The baseball program will greatly miss Ahearn as a Coach and everything he had to give, but will have to move on to a different chapter and build on the tradition that he left behind. A huge thanks to Coach Ahearn for his dedication and love poured into the baseball program over the past 22 years and best of luck in his retirement.
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