Chris Hart Named Baseball America’s Assistant Coach of the Year
1/6/2022 9:01:00 AM | Baseball
DURHAM, N.C. – NC State baseball associate head coach Chris Hart has been named Baseball America's 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year, as announced by the publication on Thursday.
Hart, who enters his 18th year as a part of the Wolfpack's coaching staff, has become known as one of the top coaches and recruiters in NCAA baseball. He played a vital role in the Wolfpack's return to the College World Series last year, as well as its highest finish in program history with a No. 3 ranking and 37-19 record.
Hart has helped NC State earn the reputation of being one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the nation year in and year out, as the squad finished third in the NCAA in fielding percentage (.982) and fifth in home runs (92) last season.
"I know this is not a Chris Hart award," Hart said in a recent interview with Baseball America. "This is a team award. These players have been super special for the last 17 years, and last year's team obviously was an extremely special group of guys. So, they deserve this award and (I'm) happy to accept it on their behalf."
Additionally, he has been a key contributor to player development among the program as seven position players were either drafted or signed a free agent contract from last year's squad. In the past three seasons, a combined 11 position players have gone on to play professionally, headlined by first rounders Will Wilson (2019) and Patrick Bailey (2020).
In the 2021 season, Hart saw outfielders Jonny Butler and Tyler McDonough rack up a combined five All-America awards and first baseman Austin Murr win the Gold Glove Award. Those three players, as well as Terrell Tatum and Jose Torres, garnered All-ACC honors to help NC State lead the league in awards last year.
"I remember somebody asked me one time when I put him in charge of recruiting 'Do you think Chris is going to be able to recruit at the level you need?' I said, 'I don't know about that, but he's going to have to," head coach Elliott Avent said about Hart in a recent interview with Baseball America. "You have to have great players to win. But what I know is his work ethic is second to no one's, and for me, recruiting is (being) out there and beating the bushes and working as hard as you can and being honest with recruits, and I'd rather have that than a door-to-door salesman who's just going to go out and sell people on something. And now, after he recruits them to campus, his big skill is development, and that's what we believe in here at NC State is development."
Hart, who enters his 18th year as a part of the Wolfpack's coaching staff, has become known as one of the top coaches and recruiters in NCAA baseball. He played a vital role in the Wolfpack's return to the College World Series last year, as well as its highest finish in program history with a No. 3 ranking and 37-19 record.
Hart has helped NC State earn the reputation of being one of the top offensive and defensive teams in the nation year in and year out, as the squad finished third in the NCAA in fielding percentage (.982) and fifth in home runs (92) last season.
"I know this is not a Chris Hart award," Hart said in a recent interview with Baseball America. "This is a team award. These players have been super special for the last 17 years, and last year's team obviously was an extremely special group of guys. So, they deserve this award and (I'm) happy to accept it on their behalf."
Additionally, he has been a key contributor to player development among the program as seven position players were either drafted or signed a free agent contract from last year's squad. In the past three seasons, a combined 11 position players have gone on to play professionally, headlined by first rounders Will Wilson (2019) and Patrick Bailey (2020).
In the 2021 season, Hart saw outfielders Jonny Butler and Tyler McDonough rack up a combined five All-America awards and first baseman Austin Murr win the Gold Glove Award. Those three players, as well as Terrell Tatum and Jose Torres, garnered All-ACC honors to help NC State lead the league in awards last year.
"I remember somebody asked me one time when I put him in charge of recruiting 'Do you think Chris is going to be able to recruit at the level you need?' I said, 'I don't know about that, but he's going to have to," head coach Elliott Avent said about Hart in a recent interview with Baseball America. "You have to have great players to win. But what I know is his work ethic is second to no one's, and for me, recruiting is (being) out there and beating the bushes and working as hard as you can and being honest with recruits, and I'd rather have that than a door-to-door salesman who's just going to go out and sell people on something. And now, after he recruits them to campus, his big skill is development, and that's what we believe in here at NC State is development."
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