NC State baseball head coach Chris Hart met with the media to discuss his roster, the transfer portal class, and much more!
NOTE: Click the video above to watch the full press conference!
Opening statement...
Honestly, so far it has not been too much different than what I have done in the past. Obviously, you finish one season and go right into recruiting, so that has been my focus for the last 20 years anyway. It really has not been much different. We hit the ground running and went straight into the transfer portal. It is a full-time job, so it has been a lot, but we wrapped that up about a week ago and finalized the roster. I feel good and ready to roll.
What are your thoughts on the class now that they have signed through the transfer portal?
I like them. You better like them! I think we did exactly what we wanted to do. We brought in a lot of pitching depth and guys who can give us what we needed on the mound, which we were missing last year. Last season was tough to deal with, but I think we are better equipped to handle injuries now. You are always going to have some injuries, and while you hope they do not hit your two big aces, we are much deeper and better prepared for any bumps in the road this year.
You have been here a long time, and a lot of people expected you to be in contention when Coach Avent retired. What was it like for that to finally become a reality?
It was what I wanted, and it was what Coach Avent wanted for me too. To be honest, I did not know for sure until late last season. I had a feeling I would have a good shot at it, but there were never any promises. It was obviously a great feeling after putting in 22 years of work and turning down other opportunities to stay here for this exact chance. It was what I really wanted, and it feels fantastic to get the opportunity to do what you have worked so hard for.
How do you balance guys who have proven themselves at this level with guys who have great potential but may not have played as much at their previous schools?
That is a good question. Looking at pitching, some of the arms we brought in have a proven track record, having pitched a lot of innings in college baseball. Others have not pitched as much, but they have bigger arms and better stuff. After going through the data, video, and analytics, we feel we can help them improve for a variety of reasons. It is very similar on the hitting side.
For example, we brought in Warren to play because he has already proven he can do it. Meanwhile, Montsour fits more into the Mikey Ryan mold of someone who has not done it yet, but is extremely talented and explosive. We pride ourselves on helping players reach their maximum potential. It comes down to balance, especially when managing budgets in the transfer portal. You try to maximize what you can get across all areas. At the end of the day, we feel we put together exactly what we needed offensively and on the mound to position ourselves to compete for an ACC championship and a national championship.
Coach Avent set the standard for this program. Is there anything you are looking forward to adding or doing differently as you step into this new role?
As far as standards go, when I first arrived here, I came from a program where we almost took success for granted. It was an automatic expectation that we would host a regional and go to Omaha. That was my mindset, and I brought that expectation with me to raise the bar for what our players expect of themselves. Getting to a regional is difficult, but in my mind, that should be our baseline expectation. Getting to Omaha is even harder, but if you set your sights higher, hosting a regional becomes the standard. When I played at Florida State, our entire focus was getting to Omaha every single year.
During my senior year, Texas beat us on our home field to go to Omaha, and they did not even dogpile. They just shook hands. I sat on the podium next to Huston Street, and he said their goal was to win the national championship, not just to win a Super Regional. That stuck with me. They treated reaching Omaha like a midweek victory and went on to win it all. I want to keep pushing that standard. Aiming for a national championship means that even if you fall short, you still accomplish something great like reaching Omaha or winning a regional. If you set the bar lower and miss, you end up with a disappointing season.
Is there any difference between your role in recruiting as an associate head coach versus now as the head coach?
I am going to remain heavily involved in recruiting. For the last 20 years, I ran that process and made many of those decisions myself. While I cannot be on the road quite as much as I used to be, I was out watching players all last week ahead of the August 1 contact date. Our staff spent the last two days evaluating video and deciding on offers and campus visits. I want to stay hands-on because I want to personally know every player we bring into this program.
What does your philosophy as a head coach look like, and how is it different from what Elliott taught you?
From a pure baseball and strategy standpoint, I still carry a lot of what Coach Martin taught me at Florida State. That foundation is ingrained in me, Link, Bell, and Ramsey. From a team culture standpoint, it is heavily influenced by Elliott Avent. Coach Martin focused strictly on on-field coaching without much team bonding, whereas Coach Avent was the exact opposite. I plan to mesh those two styles. A big reason for our success under Elliott was that he let us coach the baseball side while he built a culture where players deeply cared about NC State and each other. The baseball instruction will stay consistent, but taking full ownership of the clubhouse environment will be my newest responsibility.
How do you balance being the head coach with your background as a hitting coach? Will you still spend a lot of time working with the hitters?
Absolutely. The main difference now is that I also want to spend time with the pitchers. I plan to be down in the bullpen watching their sessions and holding my own pitchers' meetings. Pitching is king when February rolls around. As much as I love hitting, you have to pitch at an elite level to win a national championship. Coach Chrysler and Josh Fisher do a phenomenal job with our pitching and analytics, so I will simply be another supportive voice in that room to help our guys grow physically and mentally. We need to pitch better than we did last year, and we built the roster this summer to ensure we have the depth to handle any adversity.
Offensively, what is your preferred style of play? Are you looking to hit home runs, steal bases, or play small ball?
Ideally, I want to do it all. Your play style has to adapt to your personnel. You cannot just demand one style of play if your roster does not support it. We aim to recruit a balanced group of lefties, righties, speed, and power so we can pressure opponents in multiple ways. We had great balance in 2021 and 2024. If you only have power hitters who cannot defend, or fast defenders who cannot hit for power, you will run into problems. On days when the offense is clicking, we will let the guys swing freely. On days when we face elite pitching, we need to be disciplined enough to manufacture runs through walks, steals, and timely bunts. Our primary job is to score runs, whatever the game demands.
At some point, you will need to delegate responsibilities to your staff the way Elliott delegated to you. Has that transition already started?
Yes, that process has already begun. JT and Taylor have been on the road all summer evaluating talent. The biggest adjustment for me is that I have to stay on campus more often to host visiting recruits rather than traveling to watch them play. My staff has done an outstanding job sending video and keeping me updated. Elliott trusted me because I spoke with conviction about the recruits I wanted to sign. When those players succeeded, his trust grew. I approach my assistant coaches the exact same way.
What does it mean to you to keep the existing coaching staff together?
Trust and loyalty are everything. As a first-time head coach, having a staff I trust completely makes a huge difference. It is rare in college sports for a head coach and associate head coach to stay together for 22 years like Elliott and I did. Taylor and I have had a great relationship for a decade, and we have discussed working together in these roles for years. I am thrilled we get to push forward together.
How important was Rhett Johnson's experience playing for USA Baseball this summer?
Putting on the USA jersey is an incredible honor. I never got the chance during my 22 years as an assistant due to my summer recruiting schedule, though Coach Chrysler, Josh Fisher, and Coach Avent have all participated. We have had 11 players selected to USA Baseball over the last five years, which leads the ACC. Rhett was initially invited to the trial roster, but we all knew he would prove himself and make the primary team. He is a special player and a special person. It was a well-deserved honor and a summer he will never forget.
What will the schedule look like for fall practice?
We hit the ground running with individual skill work and strength training right away. The first three weeks focus on individual development and teaching our offensive system. Team practice starts on September 7. We will play an exhibition game against App State on Friday night, September 25, preceding the football game between our schools.
We play UNC on October 16 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, and we are finalizing fall games against Duke and Liberty. Fall practice concludes on October 18. From October 19 until Thanksgiving, we return to individualized skill development and weight training. Once exams finish, the players receive their winter conditioning programs to execute at home before returning in January.
Will you continue to call the offense during games?
I will continue to call the offense, but I will do so from the dugout rather than coaching third base. Modern technology makes calling plays from the dugout much easier. Trying to hold a stopwatch, monitor the middle infielders, and call a play within five seconds from the third base box was difficult. Being in the dugout allows me to manage the entire game, including hitters and pitchers, much more effectively.
Who will take over as the third base coach?
Taylor will handle third base coaching duties. He coached third base at Florida for four years and is very comfortable in that role. If for any reason he prefers not to, JT will take that responsibility.
