University of North Carolina Athletics
Holbrook Promoted To Associate Head Coach
June 30, 2007 | Baseball
June 30, 2007
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Chad Holbrook, a member of the University of North Carolina baseball coaching staff for the last 14 seasons, was promoted to associate head coach Saturday, Tar Heels' head coach Mike Fox announced. A part of the Carolina baseball program since coming to Chapel Hill as a freshman for the 1990 season, Holbrook has been an assistant coach for the last 13 years after working one season as an undergraduate coach.
"Chad is a true Tar Heel," said Fox, who recently completed his ninth season at his alma mater. "His hard work and dedication to this program and the University has been unmatched over the last 14 years. Chad was instrumental in the transition when I came to Carolina in 1999 and he has been an invaluable part of our staff ever since. He is recognized as one of the country's top recruiters and has helped build our program into what it is today. I am fortunate enough to work with the best coaching staff in the country on a daily basis."
As Carolina's recruiting coordinator, Holbrook has enjoyed great success over the last few seasons, landing the nation's No. 1 class in 2004, the No. 11 class in 2006 and the No. 6 class in 2007. These classes have been the backbone of the Tar Heels' back-to-back College World Series clubs and have led UNC to a combined 111 wins over the last two seasons, which is second nationally. Additionally, Carolina has inked one of the nation's top classes for 2008, which includes four pitchers that were selected in the first five rounds of the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
Since 1999, Holbrook has helped to recruit and coach six first-round draft picks, including current major leaguers Andrew Miller, Brian Roberts and Kyle Snyder. Carolina had six players drafted earlier this month, including four in the first seven rounds, for its most selections since 2000.
Holbrook also works closely with the Tar Heels' hitters and outfielders. Under his direction, UNC has posted six of the top nine hitting seasons in school history since 1999, including a school-record .325 mark in 2002. This past season, Dustin Ackley set a school record with 119 hits and was just the fourth Tar Heel to hit over .400 en route to national freshman of the year honors.
After an outstanding career as a player from 1990-93, the Shelby, N.C., native served as an undergraduate assistant during the spring of 1994 and was named assistant coach in the fall of 1994. Holbrook's name appears often in the Carolina record book, as he ranks among the Tar Heels' career leaders in hits, runs, games, at-bats and stolen bases.
In Holbrook's 14 seasons on the UNC coaching staff, the Tar Heels have made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and two trips to the College World Series. This year's team captured Carolina's first ACC title since Holbrook's freshman season of 1990.
Holbrook married the former Jennifer Hilliard in August 2000. Jennifer works in UNC's men's basketball office as head coach Roy Williams' administrative assistant. They have two sons, Reece and Cooper.
