Chris Pollard - Head Coach - Baseball Coaches

Photo by: Duke Athletics

Chris Pollard

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
christopher.pollard@duke.edu

At Duke (2013-25): Chris Pollard became Duke University's 25th head baseball coach in June of 2012, taking over the reins of the Blue Devil program after successful stints at Pfeiffer University and Appalachian State University.

While at Duke, Pollard has coached 46 Major League Baseball Draft picks, 24 All-ACC selections, nine Freshmen All-Americans, and seven All-Americans. In addition, he has led the program to three Super Regionals (2018, 2019, 2023) and two ACC Baseball Tournament Championship titles (2021, 2024), each the first in program history. Duke reached three consecutive postseasons (2018, 2019, 2021) for the first time in program history and his first postseason appearance in 2016 broke a 55-year drought. In 2021, Pollard became the first Duke coach to reach 100 career ACC wins, becoming one of six active head coaches to achieve that mark at the time.

Entering the 2025 season, Pollard sits with 379 career wins at Duke, three shy of becoming the winningest head coach in program history. In 2023 and 2024, the Blue Devils produced record-breaking performances on the field, shattering multiple program bests including home runs (2023 & 2024), strikeouts, fielding percentage, and runs (2023 & 2024).

The 2024 season saw the Blue Devils break the home run record for the second consecutive season, recording a program-best 115 and setting the single-game record with 11 against George Mason on opening weekend. Duke finished the 2024 campaign with a 40-20 record, the second time in program history to record 40-plus wins in a season (both under Pollard). The Blue Devils secured their second ACC Tournament Title, sweeping the week in Charlotte to improve to 8-0 since the tournament moved to Truist Field.

In addition to a record-breaking season on the field, closer Charlie Beilenson became the first consensus first-team All-American in program lore. Freshman Kyle Johnson was tabbed as the first Utility freshman All-American since Marcus Stroman (2010) and Duke placed a program record seven recipients on the All-ACC team, including tying the program record for first teamers with four.

Duke secured the program's third Super Regional appearance in 2023, finishing with a 39-24 record. In April, Duke secured three consecutive top-15 series victories, including a sweep of 12th-ranked Louisville at home. The Blue Devils were selected to the Conway Regional, advancing to the championship game against host Coastal Carolina, where Duke blasted its way to a 12-3 regional championship.

Pollard led Duke to another historic season in 2021, capturing the program's first ACC Baseball Tournament Championship title in program history, and its first conference title since 1961. Duke strung together 12 consecutive wins in May to capture the ACC title and secure a spot in a NCAA Regional.

As a team, Duke's pitching staff in 2021 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). Offensively, Duke totaled 78 home runs, fourth in program lore and the most since 1998, highlighted by RJ Schreck's 18 and Peter Matt's 15, the second duo to each hit 15+ home runs in a single season.

Pollard saw 2021 All-ACC outfielders Joey Loperfido and Schreck have historic seasons as Loperfido' .374 batting average and Schreck's .635 slugging percentage were ranked in the top 10 in program history and the highest since 2008 and 2009, respectively. Outfielder Matt became the first Blue Devil in program history to hit 15 home runs and steal 15 bases in a season.

The 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seeing the season canceled on March 12. The Blue Devils opened the season strong at 12-4 and being ranked as a consensus top-15 team. Although cut short, the 2020 season brought a historic moment as right-handed pitcher Bryce Jarvis pitched the first perfect game in program history and just the 31st in NCAA Division I history on Feb. 21, 2020 against Cornell.

Pollard led the Blue Devils to a magical postseason run in the NCAA Tournament in 2019, culminating in the program’s second straight and second NCAA Super Regional appearance. The NCAA Tournament selection marked the second consecutive appearance for the Blue Devils and the third in the last four seasons.

The Duke baseball program concluded the 2019 campaign as a consensus top-20 team for the second consecutive season. The Blue Devils received rankings as high as 16th in the national polls, while being recognized as a top-20 team amongst five different publications. Duke wrapped up the campaign as a consensus top-20 team for the second straight year: Baseball America (No. 18), Collegiate Baseball (No. 16), D1Baseball (No. 16), NCBWA (No. 17) and Perfect Game (No. 18).

Duke’s 35 wins in 2019 marked Pollard’s sixth consecutive season with 30-plus wins, making the Blue Devil skipper the first head coach to lead Duke to six 30-win seasons in his first seven campaigns.

Under Pollard's guidance, Duke put together a historic 2018 campaign. Ranked in the preseason for the first time in program history, the 2018 Blue Devils lived up to the early season hype, recording the first 40-win season in program history while also earning a program-record 18 ACC wins and advancing to the first NCAA Super Regional in school history.

Baseball America ranked Duke in its top 25 for 13 weeks during the regular season, more than doubling the total number of weeks the Blue Devils were ranked in the first 36 years of the publication’s rankings (6). With a 45-18 overall record, Duke not only set a program record for wins in a season but also reached 30 wins for the fifth straight year, the program’s longest such stretch since the Blue Devils compiled a run of seven-straight 30-win campaigns from 1992-98.

Just two years earlier, Pollard led Duke to an at-large bid to the 2016 NCAA Tournament, ending the program’s 55-year drought without making the postseason event. After beginning the season 10-13 (1-7 ACC), the Blue Devils went 23-9 over their final 32 regular season games, including a 13-8 ACC record. During that span, Duke went 9-7 against Top 20 RPI teams, collected series victories over Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Pitt, and posted a perfect 10-0 mark in non-conference play.

The first head coach to lead Duke to the NCAA Tournament since the Kennedy administration, Pollard is also the fastest Blue Devil head coach to reach 100 wins in Durham. In over 110 seasons prior to his arrival, Duke totaled 10, 30-win seasons. Since taking over the program, Pollard has guided the Blue Devils to five seasons of 30 or more wins.

In just his second season in Durham, Pollard led the 2014 Blue Devils to the ACC Tournament for the first time since 2009 as Duke finished fourth overall in the league standings. Duke's 16 ACC wins in 2014 tied the program record while the Blue Devils finished in the top four in the conference standings for the first time since 1994. The Blue Devils cemented their status as one of the top teams in the North Carolina, finishing the season 8-1 against in-state ACC rivals North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest. In addition, the Blue Devils entered the national rankings, earning the No. 30 spot in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper national poll May 6. The 2014 Blue Devils earned a spot in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper's rankings for the first time since the organization began its poll in 1998.

Pollard began the task of revitalizing the program and his effect was felt immediately as the 2013 Blue Devils eclipsed their win total from the previous season, securing 26 victories for their first-year head coach. Duke's 26 victories during Pollard's inaugural campaign marked the most by a Blue Devil head coach in his first season in school history.

Pollard and his staff have excelled at bringing top talent to Durham. During Pollard's tenure, 33 Blue Devils have been selected in the Major League Baseball Draft, including a school-record-tying seven in 2018. Of those 33 players, 12 were selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft, accounting for a over a third of Duke's total top-10-round picks in program history.

At Appalachian State (2005-12): Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Duke, Pollard successfully transformed an Appalachian State program saddled with back-to-back 10-win seasons into a team on the verge of the College World Series.

Pollard garnered 2012 Southern Conference Coach of the Year honors after leading Appalachian State to its most accomplished season in the program's 109-year history as the Mountaineers set a school record for victories with a 41-18 overall record in addition to winning the Southern Conference championship with a 21-9 league mark. Appalachian State earned a berth to the 2012 NCAA Championship and advanced to the championship round of the Charlottesville Regional with victories over national powers Virginia and Oklahoma.

In addition, the 2012 Mountaineers won their first conference championship since 1987, advanced to NCAA postseason play for the first time since 1986 and won their first NCAA Tournament game since 1973. Appalachian State also claimed four wins over nationally-ranked opponents and spent six weeks in the national rankings. Prior to the record-breaking 2012 campaign, the Mountaineers boasted just one win over a nationally-ranked team since 1982 and one appearance in a major college baseball poll.

Pollard took the helm of the Mountaineer program in 2004 and guided ASU to 24 wins, four more than the previous two seasons combined, in his second season with the program. Six consecutive 30-win seasons would follow as the Mountaineers won at least one Southern Conference Tournament game every season and finished among the top 50 teams in the Ratings Percentage Index (RPI) rankings twice during that span.

Pollard's tenure at Appalachian State was punctuated by his ability to recruit top-notch talent. After Appalachian State went without a Major League Baseball draftee for a dozen years, three members of Pollard's initial ASU recruiting class were selected in the first 12 rounds of the 2008 MLB Draft. In total, Appalachian State produced 13 MLB draftees under Pollard's watch, including a school-record four in both 2008 and 2012.

At Pfeiffer University (2000-04): Prior to his arrival at Appalachian, Pollard served as the head coach at Pfeiffer University from 2000-04. In his final year at Pfeiffer, he coached the Falcons to the winningest season in school history, a 41-14 campaign that culminated with Pfeiffer's second straight Carolinas-Virginia Athletics Conference regular season championship and a berth in the 2004 NCAA Division II South Atlantic Regional. In addition, Pfeiffer reached as high as No. 2 in the South Atlantic Regional rankings and No. 9 in the national polls according to Collegiate Baseball newspaper. Pollard was named the 2004 CVAC Coach of the Year both by the league's coaches and the American Baseball Coaches Association for his efforts.

The 2004 Falcons' baseball team was inducted into the Pfeiffer Sports Hall of Fame Sept. 23, 2017.

Similar to his time at Appalachian State, Pollard took over a Pfeiffer squad which had suffered three losing seasons in the four years prior to his arrival and began a rebuilding project that led to the Falcons' record improving in each of his five seasons as head coach. In addition, he also served as Pfeiffer's director of athletics for the 2003-04 year, overseeing the daily supervision of the school's 16 varsity sports, including NCAA compliance, budget and salary management, public relations, fundraising and facility oversight.

At Davidson: Before his stint at Pfeiffer, Pollard served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Davidson College. His primary responsibilities for the Wildcat staff included serving as the team's pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.

Pollard also gained coaching experience in the NCAA-certified Coastal Plain Summer League as the head coach of the Durham Braves in 1998 and pitching coach with the Rocky Mount Rock Fish in 1997.

As a player at Davidson from 1993-96, Pollard became just the third pitcher in program history to win 20 games for a career. He ranks among the top 10 in Davidson history with 20 wins (3rd), 168 strikeouts (8th), 59 appearances (t-7th), 309 innings pitched (4th), 39 starts (6th) 18 complete games (t-7th) and two shutouts (t-3rd). As a sophomore, Pollard defeated both No. 1 Georgia Tech and No. 25 Western Carolina before tying an NCAA record by earning victories in both ends of a doubleheader versus Georgia Southern as a junior.

Personal: Pollard graduated from Davidson in 1996, earning a B.A. in psychology with a concentration in child and adolescent development. He played professionally in both the Western League and the Northern League before returning to Davidson to begin his coaching career.

Pollard also received a Master's degree in physical education/health education from Mississippi State in 2004.

His wife, Stephanie, is a 1997 Davidson graduate. The couple resides in Durham with their two sons: Thomas and Brady.

Coaching Experience
Years	School	Position	Record
2013-Present	Duke University	Head Coach	379-275 *
2005-12	Appalachian State	Head Coach	244-210-2
2000-04	Pfeiffer University	Head Coach	141-108-1
1996-99	Davidson College	Assistant Coach
* As of August 20, 2024

Year-by-Year
Year	School	Record	Pct.	Conference	Record	Pct.	Finish
2000	Pfeiffer	20-28	.417	Conference Carolinas	10-15	.400	8th
2001	Pfeiffer	21-26	.447	Conference Carolinas	11-12	.478	6th
2002	Pfeiffer	26-23-1	.530	Conference Carolinas	11-14	.440	8th
2003	Pfeiffer	33-17	.660	Conference Carolinas	16-10	.615	3rd
2004	Pfeiffer	41-14	.745	Conference Carolinas	18-6	.750	1st
2005	Appalachian State	10-42	.192	Southern Conference	5-24	.172	11th
2006	Appalachian State	24-31-1	.438	Southern Conference	9-18	.333	8th
2007	Appalachian State	33-26	.559	Southern Conference	14-13	.519	4th
2008	Appalachian State	32-27	.542	Southern Conference	14-13	.519	6th
2009	Appalachian State	33-21	.611	Southern Conference	15-13	.536	6th
2010	Appalachian State	38-18	.675	Southern Conference	14-14-1	.500	7th
2011	Appalachian State	33-27	.550	Southern Conference	15-15	.500	6th
2012	Appalachian State	41-18	.695	Southern Conference	21-9	.700	t-1st
2013	Duke	26-29	.473	Atlantic Coast Conference	9-21	.300	11th
2014	Duke	33-25	.541	Atlantic Coast Conference	16-14	.533	4th
2015	Duke	31-22	.585	Atlantic Coast Conference	10-19	.345	t-12th
2016	Duke	33-24	.579	Atlantic Coast Conference	14-16	.467	7th
2017	Duke	30-28	.517	Atlantic Coast Conference	12-18	.400	9th
2018	Duke	45-18	.714	Atlantic Coast Conference	18-12	.600	4th
2019	Duke	35-27	.565	Atlantic Coast Conference	15-15	.500	7th
2020	Duke	12-4	.750	Atlantic Coast Conference	2-1	.667	N/A
2021	Duke	33-22	.600	Atlantic Coast Conference	16-17	.485	9th
2022	Duke	22-32	.407	Atlantic Coast Conference	10-20	.333	13th
2023	Duke	39-24	.619	Atlantic Coast Conference	16-13	.552	5th
2024	Duke	40-20	.667	Atlantic Coast Conference	16-14	.533	6th