Chris Gordon - Assistant to the Head Coach - Baseball Coaches

Chris Gordon

Title:
Assistant to the Head Coach
Email:
christopher.gordon@duke.edu

At Duke (2017-Present): Chris Gordon joined the Duke baseball coaching staff in August of 2017 and currently serves as the program’s Pitching Coach after being elevated to that position in February 2021. Prior to his role as the Pitching Coach, Gordon was the Assistant to the Head Coach for three seasons.

Gordon's first season as the pitching coach was a historic one, helping lead the Blue Devils to the 2021 ACC Tournament Championship title, the first in program history. He led the Duke pitching staff that boasted a 1.00 ERA with 41 strikeouts to just five walks in the ACC Baseball Championship on its way to winning the championship with a 1-0 shutout over NC State, just the third shutout in the championship game in program history. .

As a team, Duke's pitching staff broke the school record in strikeouts per nine innings (9.81) and ranked third in strikeouts per walk (2.62), fourth in fewest hits allowed (471) and fifth in saves (14). Individually, Gordon oversaw the development Freshman All-American southpaw Luke Fox and right-handed pitcher Marcus Johnson, who tied each other for third in the ACC in ERA (3.05). Johnson finished the 2021 season with a 0.93 WHIP, the second-best in program history, while Fox's 12.21 strikeouts per nine innings placed sixth in school lore.

In 2022, Gordon led the pitching staff to break the program record in strikeouts per nine innings set the season before, producing 10.60 strikeouts per game to rank third in the ACC and in the top 15 nationally. Overall, the Blue Devils struck out 563 batters to rank third in program history and third in the ACC, in addition to ranking fifth in the league in strikeouts looking (120). Gordon mentored Fox to become the third Blue Devil in program history to record 11+ strikeouts per nine innings in back-to-back seasons, joining major leaguer Marcus Stroman (2011-12) and Art Bradshear (1904-05).

In his previous position from 2017-21, Gordon coordinated team travel and meals, assists with the recruiting process and on-campus visits, facilitates the team’s statistics and analytics technology, and coordinates all Duke baseball camps.

At East Tennessee State (2014-17): Gordon came to Duke from East Tennessee State University, where he spent the last four seasons as the program’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator (2014-17). In his final season as the pitching coach at East Tennessee State, Gordon’s staff threw a school-record 461 strikeouts to help the program to their first winning season since 2013. Gordon first joined the Buccaneers as volunteer assistant coach in 2013.

Prior to East Tennessee State: Prior to his time at ETSU, Gordon served as an assistant coach at Milligan for five seasons. He coached the hitters and catchers during his first season before transitioning to the team’s pitching coach and recruiting coordinator in 2010.

Gordon also coached in the Alaskan Baseball League, serving as the Mat-Su Miners’ pitching coach in 2011 and head coach in 2012.

In 2008, Gordon accepted his first coaching position as an assistant at Science Hill.

College Play (2003-07): Gordon played at Milligan College from 2003-07 and completed his Bachelor of Art’s degree in history in 2007. He was a member of the Buffs’ record-setting 2004 team and 2005 NAIA Region XII runner-up squad.

Personal: Gordon and his wife, Kelley, reside in Durham. The couple has one son, C.J.

Last updated 5/27/2022