Veteran Assistant Joins Buckeyes…
COLUMBUS, OH - Chris Holick, who has eight years of collegiate coaching experience coupled with a playing career that included four varsity letters earned at Indiana and Kent State (two apiece), has been named today by new Ohio State baseball coach Greg Beals as an assistant coach. Holick will coach the Ohio State infield and outfield defense, bunting and base running, as well as serve as the program’s baseball camp coordinator.
The hiring of Holick (pronounced HALL-ick) completes Beals’ fulltime coaching staff after the announcement June 30 that former Buckeye Mike Stafford had been Beals’ choice as pitching coach. A volunteer assistant coach is still to be named.
Chris Holick (OSU photo)
Holick, who has worked in pharmaceutical sales for Eli Lilly the past two years after four years as an assistant coach at Florida International University (2004-07), three at Arizona State (2001-03) and one at Kent State (2000), is excited to return to his home state and to resume coaching. He is a native of Westlake and attended Westlake High School.
“Ohio State has always been a dream place for me,” Holick said. “My Mother (Beth) went to Ohio State and I would have loved to have had the opportunity to play there. I’ve followed its tradition, though, and I am looking forward to working with Coach Beals to help the program win more championships.”
Beals, who has settled into his new office at Bill Davis Stadium after being named coach June 17, is pleased to be adding Holick to his staff, who he described as “a tireless worker on and off the field.”
“I am excited about the opportunity to work with Chris again,” Beals, who coached Holick as a player at Kent State in 1998 and 1999 and coached with him there in 2000, said. “I respected him as a player and I am thrilled with the coaching abilities that he will bring to our program at Ohio State. He brings the energy, passion and competitiveness that I want to emphasize.”
Holick also brings a wealth of baseball knowledge – as a player, coach and administrator – with a baseball resume that includes these impressive accomplishments:
- He was coached at Westlake H.S. by its all-time leader in coaching victories, Jeff Short, also a sixth-grade math and science teacher and a class act who Holick still holds as a dear friend.
- He lettered two years at Indiana (1996 and 1997) while playing for the all-time winningest coach in Indiana history, Bob Morgan.
- He lettered two years at Kent State (1998 and 1999) while playing for Rich Rembielak, the all-time winningest coach in school history.
- He spent three-plus years on Pat Murphy’s staff at Arizona State (2001-03) in an operations position that also included strength and conditioning, recruiting and ASU camps responsibilities. Murphy is the second-winningest coach in that program’s storied history.
- Holick also was around the ASU program in the fall of 2000 while working as operations manager for the Grand Canyon Rafters of MLB’s Arizona Fall League.
- He coached four years at Florida International (2004-07) under the direction of Danny Price, the winningest coach in FIU history whose final season of 28 at the school was in 2007. His responsibilities with FIU included work as the team’s hitting coordinator, catching coach and a season with its pitchers.
It was after the 2007 season that Holick, who was named Academic All-Big Ten while at IU and Academic All-MAC at KSU, took his position with Eli Lilly. It was always intended to be a temporary position, though, as Holick had plans of getting back into coaching.
“It was a great experience learning sales and marketing for a major corporation,” said Holick, “but it has always been my dream to get back into coaching and the game of baseball.”
Holick was an accomplished player. He played in 82 games for the Hoosiers and made 60 starts, including 53 starts in 1997 when he hit .301, scored 30 runs and drove in another 21. He was part of the 1996 Hoosier team that won the Big Ten tournament and played in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
As a two-year starter at shortstop for Kent State, Holick helped the Golden Flashes to 60 victories, including a 36-24 mark in the MAC. He displayed his defensive prowess by recording 167 assists in 1999, which at the time was second-most in school history and still ranks sixth.
With his degree in English obtained, Holick spent the 2000 season on the Kent State coaching staff that included Beals and helped the team reach the NCAA tournament.
He was then a part of three Arizona State teams that advanced to NCAA Super Regionals each year, giving Holick a total of five NCAA tournaments on his playing or coaching resume. It’s a number Holick would like to see increase as soon as possible.
“It is such a great feeling to get into NCAA regionals and to experience an opportunity to win a championship,” Holick said. “There is nothing like winning a championship and with the leadership of Coach Beals it is something we all will be seeking at Ohio State.”
After wrapping up his current responsibilities and moving from the Fort Myers, Fla., area, where he currently resides, Holick is expected to officially join the baseball staff the week of July 26.
(Ohio State Release)