With more than 20 years of coaching experience recruiting and producing top-level talent, being a part of two national championship teams and making six trips to the College World Series and 17 NCAA Regional appearances, Chad Holbrook has been named head coach of the College of Charleston baseball program, Director of Athletics Matt Roberts announced on Thursday.
“We are excited to add Chad, Jenn, Reece and Cooper to the College of Charleston family,” Roberts said. “It is a tribute to the tremendous heritage and tradition created by our incredible baseball alumni that our program can attract a coach with the talent, experience and national reputation of Chad Holbrook. It’s a great day to be a Cougar.”
“What an honor to be the head baseball coach at the College of Charleston,” Holbrook said. “It is a privilege to be associated with the College’s incredible tradition of excellence that I have admired for years. My family and I can’t wait to entrench ourselves in one of the most unique communities in the country. I am especially looking forward to meeting our players and the passionate alumni who make Charleston such a special place. Our goal is to create a championship program that excites both our student-athletes and fans alike. That journey starts today.”
Holbrook, 46, previously served five seasons as head coach at the University of South Carolina, compiling a 200-106 overall record and .654 winning percentage. During his time at the helm of the baseball program, the Gamecocks made three NCAA Regional appearances, with two NCAA Super Regionals in 2013 and 2016.
Prior to joining the Gamecocks, Holbrook worked for 15 seasons on the University of North Carolina coaching staff. While at UNC, the Tar Heels made 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, including four NCAA Super Regionals and three trips to the College World Series. The 2007 squad also captured an ACC Championship title, the first in Chapel Hill since 1990, when Holbrook was a freshman player.
“Chad Holbrook is a great addition to the College. I want to first thank our search committee for their hard work during this process. I greatly appreciate their insights and their recommendations,” said President Glenn F. McConnell. “Obviously, Coach Holbrook brings a wealth of experience and an incredible résumé of success. I know he will do big things on the diamond. However, what impressed me most about Coach Holbrook is his vision of modern-day student-athletes and how they are woven into the fabric of campus, academically and socially. Coach Holbrook’s emphasis on civic engagement and community service perfectly reflects our institution’s core values in producing graduates that will make a difference in the world. Plain and simple, Chad Holbrook will be a great fit on our campus – a premier coach for a premier program.”
A 1994 graduate of the University of North Carolina with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Holbrook is the son of Eddie Holbrook, former men’s basketball head coach at Gardner-Webb and Furman. He and his wife, Jennifer (née Hilliard), have two sons, Reece, 15; and Cooper, 13.
