NOTRE DAME, IN – Chuck Ristano, who helped lead Monmouth to a pair of Northeast Conference (NEC) Tournament championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, has been hired as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Notre Dame, first-year head baseball coach Mik Aoki announced Friday.

Chuck Ristano

“I am honored to join Coach Aoki’s inaugural staff here at Notre Dame,” said Ristano. “This program has always been one of tremendous character and class. Notre Dame has been successful on and off the field. I look forward to our continued work to reestablish a championship tradition.”

“We are quite lucky to add a person of Chuck’s knowledge, experience and leadership to our staff,” said Aoki. “He has a consistent record of locating and developing quality players and more importantly student-athletes. Chuck will play an instrumental role in the future success of this program.”

Ristano acted as the recruiting coordinator and pitching coach at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J. for four years (2006-2009). He not only directed all phases of recruitment, but also was responsible for the development of off-season throwing and conditioning programs. Ristano coordinated study hall and all travel plans, and even assisted in numerous fundraising activities. He placed players in a number of top-level summer collegiate leagues.

Ristano helped guide the Hawks to the conference title and automatic NCAA bid in 2007 and 2009. Monmouth won 30 or more games in three of his four seasons on staff, including a school-record 37 victories in 2008. The Hawks appeared in the 2007 Tempe Regional and 2009 Oxford Regional.

Ristano also recruited and tutored three pitchers selected in the Major League Baseball draft, including Ryan Buch and Brett Brach, who were selected in the eighth and tenth round, respectively, in the 2009 MLB Draft. In total, seven of his recruits eventually signed professional baseball contracts.

Under Ristano’s guidance, seven pitchers earned all-conference honors, four earned all-region honors and four more were named TPX All-Americans, including Brach, who was the 2007 NEC Pitcher of the Year.

In his first season at Monmouth (2006), Ristano’s pitching staff ranked eighth nationally in earned-run average (3.34), setting a school record. In 2008, his staff posted a 3.99 ERA, as the Hawks joined 11 other teams to finish in the NCAA top 20 in ERA in two of the previous three seasons. In 2007, his staff set a school record with 374 strikeouts.

During his four seasons at the school, Monmouth posted a 132-89 record and compiled a team ERA of 4.35. The Hawks led the NEC in ERA in 2006, finished second each of the other three years and led the conference in strikeouts twice.

In 2005, Ristano served as pitching coach at his alma mater Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. He tutored both first team all-conference pitchers, including the league’s pitcher of the year, and helped the Pioneers to their first ever NEC Tournament appearance.

Ristano, who spent the 2010 season as the pitching coach and recruiting coordinator at Temple University, was a four-year letterwinner at Sacred Heart (2001-04). He was a two-time captain and four-time NEC All-Academic Team honoree. Ristano graduated with a B.S. degree in sports management in 2004.

(Notre Dame release)