Sports
Top candidates for next Ohio Baseball head coach
By: Marc Goldstein
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ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) — After a season that saw Ohio go 14-37 and eventually fire head coach Craig Moore, the search is on for a new skipper for the program. The search for the program will certainly be a more national one, but the fact is that the majority of the candidates will likely come from the greater Ohio region. That being said, this is a list of some of the most likely options in the greater Ohio region, not the country, so there are certainly options not named here that can, in fact, get interviews or even the position. Looking at hiring trends for schools in the MAC and mid-major level, Ohio will most likely be looking at candidates that are assistant coaches at high-major programs and head coaches at Division II or III schools.
The likely candidate
JT Heenan, Assistant Coach, Ohio University
Many view Heenan as the most likely candidate to get the job for the Bobcats. Not only is he currently employed by the program, but he has experience leading a program of his own as he was the head coach at Salem University. While at Salem, he turned around a program that had not seen much success to that point, albeit not at the NCAA level. Heenan has experience and familiarity with this team and has done a remarkable job in helping the offense for this program.
That being said, some of the cons to hiring Heenan include those two aspects. If the Athletic Department wants to start fresh with a completely new coaching staff, an inside hire likely doesn’t make much sense. Additionally, there is a chance that the search focuses on cleaning up the pitching staff that ranked towards the bottom of the country in most categories.
Regardless, coaching searches at Ohio have shown a tendency to focus on in-house candidates or candidates with familiarity with the program, regardless of sports. Brian Smith was an inside hire for football, Jeff Boals is a former Ohio player, Jenna Hall was an assistant at Ohio and even Moore was an assistant for the Bobcats before being named head coach. For that reason, as well as the familiarity with the current roster, Heenan is likely the top option.
Good options to keep an eye on
John Schaly, Head Coach, Ashland University
Schaly is a candidate that should get a deep look for Ohio. He has over 1000 wins as head coach at Ashland and has turned that program into a powerhouse at the Division II level. He has won 40+ games numerous times and has overhauled a program in the state of Ohio already. The only reason for hesitation would be that he has been at Ashland for over 25 seasons, making it unlikely that he would leave a comfortable situation for a rebuild at a new one. That being said, the job at Ohio will give him far more resources than his current gig at Ashland, so that is certainly a factor to consider.
Gene Stechschulte, Head Coach, Ohio Northern University
Stechschulte has, like Schaly, completely rebuilt a program during his 14 seasons at Ohio Northern. He has over 275 career victories and was, oddly enough, coached by Schaly during his career at Ashland. Stechschulte has demonstrated an ability to get the most out of the talent he has recruited at the Division III level. Currently, he is in the midst of guiding ONU to one of its most successful seasons in recent memory. Stechschulte is not the biggest name on the coaching market for Ohio, but he certainly deserves a look after his success at ONU.
Doug Willey, Assistant Coach, Xavier University
Wiley is someone that feels like a candidate for a promotion to run his own program for the first time. A former MiLB pitching coach, he has been primarily working with the pitching staff at Xavier. For a team, like Ohio, that needs as much insight into bettering its pitching staff as possible, bringing in Willey would certainly help. He has been at Xavier for a couple of seasons and the team ERA has dropped significantly in his first year on the staff. If Ohio wants to rebuild its pitching staff, Willey should be a top option to poach from an in-state program.
Brian Harrison, Head Coach, Baldwin Wallace University
Another Division III head coach that has managed a dominant program, Harrison has been a stabilizing force at Baldwin Wallace for the past 14 seasons. He has won in the regular season (519 career wins, 378 of them at BW) and in the postseason, going to eight Regionals and a trio of College World Series appearances. Harrison has, like Stechschulte and Schaly, been able to get the most out of the talent at a smaller school with a lower budget.
Long shots, but great candidates
Mike Birkbeck, Associate Head Coach, Kent State University
Birkbeck has been the primary pitching coach for Kent State for over 20 years. He is widely considered to be one of the best pitching coaches in the region. However, the fact that he has remained at Kent State for so long gives many reservations over the viability of a move across the state for Birkbeck. Maybe he will take his talents three hours south, but it does not feel likely that Ohio will poach a coach from a conference rival.
Adam Christ, Assistant Coach, University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign
Christ has not actually been a head coach in his career, but appears poised to make the leap in the near future. At Illinois, he has been the primary hitting coach and recruiting coordinator at Illinois for the last ten years since moving from Division II Minnesota State. He is someone who has demonstrated an ability to recognize talent and develop talent, but the fact that he has no ties to Ohio and might be making more money at Illinois could keep him from being a real candidate for this job.
Travis Ferrick, Pitching Coach/Recruiting Coordinator, Wright State
Ferrick fits the bill of this perfectly. He is a coach that focuses primarily on pitching and recruiting, two things Ohio needs to do in order to return to former glory. However, he just accepted this job with Wright State before the 2025 season, making it somewhat unlikely that he would bolt for another job. That being said, the skills Ferrick brings to the table with his pitchers and recruiting efforts is something that Ohio should strive for in its next head coach.
Tayler Sheriff, Assistant Coach, University of Cincinnati
Sherriff, like Ferrick, has a background deeply rooted in pitching. He is in his second season at Cincinnati and has become a hot name to monitor for coaching vacancies. He will likely be a hot commodity in the coming hiring cycles, so Ohio can snatch up a good one if it wants to make a big splash this year. However, that feels unlikely as Sheriff might be looking for bigger opportunities.