Chris Lemonis Hired As Baseball Assistant
June 30, 2006 | Baseball
June 30, 2006
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - University of Louisville head baseball coach Dan McDonnell has announced the hiring of Chris Lemonis as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. He will also work with the hitters and the outfielders.
"This program will be driven by great people and work ethic, and I can't think of an individual that exemplifies those qualities better than Chris," said McDonnell.
"He will leave no stone unturned on the recruiting trail as he brings a great deal of energy to the program. He has already hit the ground running on the path to lifting this program to unprecedented heights."
Recognized as one of the top hitting coaches in the country, Lemonis (pronounced luh-MOW-niss) joins the Cardinals after 12 seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, The Citadel, where he served for the last four seasons as associate head coach to Fred Jordan. Lemonis and McDonnell were together as members of Jordan's staff from 1995-2000, after playing together from 1989-1992.
Working primarily with the hitters and outfielders during his stay with the Bulldogs, 35 offensive records have been established by hitters that have been tutored by Lemonis. The Bulldogs finished first or second in the Southern Conference in seven of the 12 seasons Lemonis was on the staff and advanced to an NCAA Regional five times.
Of the 14 single season team offensive records at The Citadel, 11 were set by teams that Lemonis has coached. The 2005 senior class saw three players combine to establish five career offensive records. Of the 14 individual career titles, all but two marks were set by players that competed under Lemonis, one of those marks being career walks, held by McDonnell when he played for the Diamond Dogs.
During Lemonis' tenure at The Citadel, there have been seven all-Americans, two freshman all-Americans, 17 first team all-Southern Conference performers, and a Southern Conference Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Twenty athletes have moved on to play professional baseball following their playing days with the Bulldogs.
Among those in pro ball is Los Angeles Angels third baseman Dallas McPherson, who hit .241 with one home run and 14 RBI in his second year of college ball before blossoming under Lemonis to put together seasons of .378-9-55 and .347-11.58. He was then tabbed by the Angels in the 2nd round with the 57th overall choice and made his MLB debut three seasons later.
Another individual who flourished under Lemonis was Philip Hartig, who broke more than ten school and six Southern Conference career records. Hartig was one of only two players in Southern Conference history to earn first-team all-conference honors during all four of his playing years, collecting 75 doubles, 14 triples, 64 home runs and driving in 290 runs during his career. Hartig was So-Con Player of the Year in 2001 and went to the Marlins in the 2001 Draft.
During the 2004 slate, Chip Cannon lead the nation in walks with 71, hitting .358 with 20 doubles and a record-tying 17 home runs as senior before the Blue Jays selected him in the 8th round of the 2004 draft.
An explosive Bulldog offense paced the league in batting average (.325), runs (492), hits (687), doubles (138), triples (23) and a Southern Conference record 198 stolen bases in 2000. The group was lead by All-American Chris Morris who led the nation in stolen bases with 84. A 15th-round selection by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft, he became one of nine minor league players to ever steal over 100 bases in a season when he swiped 111 bags in 134 games for Peoria(A) in 2001.
Lemonis graduated from The Citadel in 1992, twice earning All-Southern Conference honors as a player and leading the team in home runs three times. He lead the Bulldogs with a .367 average, 19 doubles, 52 runs 10 home runs and 66 RBI as senior. He was also named to the 1993 all-Southern Conference Tournament team. He ranks 10th all-time at The Citadel in RBI (152), 7th in home runs(23) and 8th in slugging percentage(.538).
The Myrtle Beach, SC native and 1988 graduate of Socastee High School, Lemonis is married to the former Jill MacEldowny of Greensboro, NC. They have two daughters Marissa (10), and Mackenzie (5).
