Niko Buentello joined the Panthers Staff as an assistant coach in August 2021, before entering his current position as the recruiting coordinator for Head Coach Brad Stromdahl in 2023.Â
Buentello helped guide Georgia State to a 30-win season in 2022, including 15 conference wins and a Sun Belt Conference Tournament appearance.Â
In his first year at GSU, Buentello helped coach a Panther offense that smashed 75 home runs, the third-highest total in program history, led by All-American Max Ryerson and Major League Baseball ninth-round draft pick Griffin Cheney.Â
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Buentello, the former Auburn standout, came to GSU  from Wallace Community College in Dothan, Ala., where he served as hitting coach and recruiting coordinator. During his four years at Wallace, he helped the Govs to a record 141-40, while developing 41 student athletes who went on to play Division I baseball and four who were selected in the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. During Buentello’s tenure, the Govs hit .339 or higher each year while scoring at least 420 runs each season.
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Buentello began his playing career at Oklahoma before transferring to Grayson College to finish his sophomore season. After one year in the junior college ranks, Buentello finished his college career at Auburn. As a junior in the Southeastern Conference, he hit .332 with 11 home runs and 55 runs batted in. Following that season enough to be selected in the 2016 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers.
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The Dallas, Texas, native earned his bachelor's degree in public administration from Auburn in 2017.
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