University of Minnesota Athletics
Brandon Hunt: The Life of a Volunteer Baseball Coach
11/18/2020 9:11:00 AM | Baseball
When given the option, volunteer assistant baseball coach Brandon Hunt is at Siebert Field, where he can be found hitting balls to Gopher position players with his fungo or engaging in chalk talk with various members of the team. However, the reality of the modern collegiate baseball climate means that Hunt's work does not end when he leaves the diamond; rather, it is often just beginning. As a volunteer assistant, Hunt takes on numerous other odd jobs as he pursues his true passion: coaching. He does this out of the sheer love for the game, aiming to one day rise to the top of the profession.
The Grind
The Rapid City, S.D. native puts in long hours as a member of the Minnesota coaching staff, where he is tasked with structuring daily practice plans, coordinating the team's strength and conditioning training in accordance with performance coach Scott McWilliams and coaching players on base running, hitting and infield defense. In order to help the team excel defensively, Hunt digests a multitude of data and and analytics to better position his players and ensure they are prepared for each individual lineup they face. In addition to these duties, Hunt acts as a liaison to equipment manager Adam Bates to facilitate the team's equipment needs, while also directing the team's instructional camps program – where he earns the majority of his compensation in a normal year.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gopher Baseball program was unable to hold its typical assortment of camps this past summer. But even in a normal year, the nature of Hunt's coaching position makes it a necessity to find additional employment elsewhere and pick up odd jobs. In the past, Hunt has worked for CHS Inc., served as a member of the St. Paul Saints ground crew and been employed as an Amazon package deliveryman – a position he continues to hold to this day. This means on top of the extensive hours he puts in as a baseball coach, his day is rarely over when he leaves the field. Hunt consistently pulls double shifts split between his two jobs, doing whatever it takes to make the situation manageable.
Although it may comes as a surprise, this is a common reality across the landscape of college baseball. At the Division I level, only two full-time assistant coaching positions exist per school. As a result, the vast majority of aspiring coaches are forced to work from the ground up before – assuming all goes according to plan – obtaining a full-time position one day.
Gopher Baseball assistant coach Packy Casey was employed in a part-time capacity for five years prior to his full-time hire at Minnesota, while pitching coach Ty McDevitt was a volunteer assistant, like Hunt, for his first two years on staff at the U. Current director of operations, Lee Swenson, spent 13 years as a volunteer coach for the program before transitioning into the role he holds today. Even the legendary John Anderson, who has been at the helm of the program for over 40 years now, began his status as Minnesota's head coach in a part-time capacity back in 1981.
The Rise
Despite these challenges, Hunt works tirelessly in order to bring value to the team through his volunteer capacity. Although he may be labeled as a volunteer, Hunt is a highly-accomplished college baseball coach with a wide range of professional experience. Previously, he served as an American Legion coach and spent five years on the staff at Augustana University, where he also played collegiately from 2002-05. While at Augustana, Hunt served as an assistant coach from 2012-14 before being elevated to lead assistant coach from 2014-16.
"Brandon Hunt is the definition of a true team player and exceptional leader," said former Augustana head coach (2001-06) and current South Dakota State senior administrator Jeff Holm. "His leader-by-example work ethic, and his ability to unite others was a major factor that helped us win in a manner that had never happened before at Augustana… His leadership style is welcoming, organized, compassionate and understanding. At the same time, he is confident in his knowledge and abilities and not afraid to stand up for what is right and what he believes in."
In 2018, Augustana brought home the NCAA Division III National Championship, sporting a roster with countless players Hunt helped recruit while being mentored under head coach Tim Huber.
"Brandon is first and foremost a great person who really cares about his players. He is also an excellent baseball coach," said Huber. "He quickly moved into our top paid assistant position and soon after, a head job in our league. Everyone in the baseball circles knows that Brandon is one of the top coaches around who works as hard as anyone."
During his time with Augustana, Hunt also coached with the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League, where he and Casey won a league-record 51 games in 2013. In 2014, the Bucks claimed 45 victories, paving the way for yet another NWL record: 96 wins in a span of two seasons.
"The success that the Waterloo Bucks had can be directly related to having Brandon on staff," said Waterloo manager Travis Kiewitt. "His energy, passion for the sport and constant positivity day in and day out made everyone in the organization better, including myself."
Following his stints with Waterloo and Augustana, Hunt departed to become the head coach at Upper Iowa University, an NCAA Division II program competing in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). His hiring effectively made him one of the youngest head coaches at the Division II level.
Carrying a reputation as one of the top recruiters and one of the finest defensive coaches in the Midwest, Hunt elevated Upper Iowa into an annual contender in the highly competitive NSIC, winning 36 games in two seasons including over 30 conference victories. His Peacock teams finished in the upper echelon of the NSIC in fielding percentage, including a pair of players selected to the NSIC Gold Glove team during his tenure. Hunt's teams also excelled in the classroom, finishing both 2017 and 2018 with a team GPA over 3.0.
Upon joining the Gopher Baseball staff in 2019, Hunt brought with him all the aforementioned experience, quickly building a deep, personal rapport with the team's players. As it stands today, Hunt is at the heart of the team's offensive, defensive and base running approaches and no practice takes place without his direct oversight.
The Future
The path may be a difficult one, but Hunt's ultimate goal remains to one day become a Division I head baseball coach. As Minnesota's volunteer assistant continues to juggle multiple jobs in pursuit of this dream, he is constantly refining the skills and qualities that are essential to being successful in the world of coaching.
Over the past two-plus years, Hunt has had the opportunity to learn first-hand from Anderson, who has led the Gophers since 1981. Anderson, who at one time served in a part-time capacity himself, is all the evidence one needs to see that the future is bright for the team's volunteer assistant.
"Throughout my career, I realized the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people and the significant impact it has on the success of your program on and off the field, and Brandon Hunt is one of those truly special coaches and mentors," said Anderson.
"He is a very talented, dedicated and passionate coach with a high baseball IQ, who in his short tenure has earned the trust and respect of the players due to his exceptional work ethic. His knowledge of the game, strong teaching skills and the positive relationships he has created with our players has significantly enhanced their skill development and fundamentals."
Anderson is not alone in voicing his optimism about Hunt as a rising star in the field.
"In my time as a collegiate baseball coach, Brandon is at the top of the list as a person a character, conviction and integrity," said Holm. "If I ever get back into college coaching, Brandon Hunt would be my first phone call as I would want him on my team. He's a difference maker in numerous ways and any community would be lucky to have him."
As the Maroon & Gold can attest to first-hand, Hunt is indeed a true difference maker on the playing field. No matter what the future holds, he will carry that trait with him, along with his unparalleled energy, work ethic and attention-to-detail. But for now, the Minnesota Gophers are happy to have the multi-faceted Hunt all to themselves. Just take it from the head man himself.
"The Golden Gopher Baseball program is fortunate and grateful to have Brandon as a member of our coaching staff and the positive impact he is having on the overall student-athlete experience and the culture of the program," said Anderson.
The Grind
The Rapid City, S.D. native puts in long hours as a member of the Minnesota coaching staff, where he is tasked with structuring daily practice plans, coordinating the team's strength and conditioning training in accordance with performance coach Scott McWilliams and coaching players on base running, hitting and infield defense. In order to help the team excel defensively, Hunt digests a multitude of data and and analytics to better position his players and ensure they are prepared for each individual lineup they face. In addition to these duties, Hunt acts as a liaison to equipment manager Adam Bates to facilitate the team's equipment needs, while also directing the team's instructional camps program – where he earns the majority of his compensation in a normal year.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gopher Baseball program was unable to hold its typical assortment of camps this past summer. But even in a normal year, the nature of Hunt's coaching position makes it a necessity to find additional employment elsewhere and pick up odd jobs. In the past, Hunt has worked for CHS Inc., served as a member of the St. Paul Saints ground crew and been employed as an Amazon package deliveryman – a position he continues to hold to this day. This means on top of the extensive hours he puts in as a baseball coach, his day is rarely over when he leaves the field. Hunt consistently pulls double shifts split between his two jobs, doing whatever it takes to make the situation manageable.
Although it may comes as a surprise, this is a common reality across the landscape of college baseball. At the Division I level, only two full-time assistant coaching positions exist per school. As a result, the vast majority of aspiring coaches are forced to work from the ground up before – assuming all goes according to plan – obtaining a full-time position one day.
Gopher Baseball assistant coach Packy Casey was employed in a part-time capacity for five years prior to his full-time hire at Minnesota, while pitching coach Ty McDevitt was a volunteer assistant, like Hunt, for his first two years on staff at the U. Current director of operations, Lee Swenson, spent 13 years as a volunteer coach for the program before transitioning into the role he holds today. Even the legendary John Anderson, who has been at the helm of the program for over 40 years now, began his status as Minnesota's head coach in a part-time capacity back in 1981.
The Rise
Despite these challenges, Hunt works tirelessly in order to bring value to the team through his volunteer capacity. Although he may be labeled as a volunteer, Hunt is a highly-accomplished college baseball coach with a wide range of professional experience. Previously, he served as an American Legion coach and spent five years on the staff at Augustana University, where he also played collegiately from 2002-05. While at Augustana, Hunt served as an assistant coach from 2012-14 before being elevated to lead assistant coach from 2014-16.
"Brandon Hunt is the definition of a true team player and exceptional leader," said former Augustana head coach (2001-06) and current South Dakota State senior administrator Jeff Holm. "His leader-by-example work ethic, and his ability to unite others was a major factor that helped us win in a manner that had never happened before at Augustana… His leadership style is welcoming, organized, compassionate and understanding. At the same time, he is confident in his knowledge and abilities and not afraid to stand up for what is right and what he believes in."
In 2018, Augustana brought home the NCAA Division III National Championship, sporting a roster with countless players Hunt helped recruit while being mentored under head coach Tim Huber.
"Brandon is first and foremost a great person who really cares about his players. He is also an excellent baseball coach," said Huber. "He quickly moved into our top paid assistant position and soon after, a head job in our league. Everyone in the baseball circles knows that Brandon is one of the top coaches around who works as hard as anyone."
During his time with Augustana, Hunt also coached with the Waterloo Bucks of the Northwoods League, where he and Casey won a league-record 51 games in 2013. In 2014, the Bucks claimed 45 victories, paving the way for yet another NWL record: 96 wins in a span of two seasons.
"The success that the Waterloo Bucks had can be directly related to having Brandon on staff," said Waterloo manager Travis Kiewitt. "His energy, passion for the sport and constant positivity day in and day out made everyone in the organization better, including myself."
Following his stints with Waterloo and Augustana, Hunt departed to become the head coach at Upper Iowa University, an NCAA Division II program competing in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). His hiring effectively made him one of the youngest head coaches at the Division II level.
Carrying a reputation as one of the top recruiters and one of the finest defensive coaches in the Midwest, Hunt elevated Upper Iowa into an annual contender in the highly competitive NSIC, winning 36 games in two seasons including over 30 conference victories. His Peacock teams finished in the upper echelon of the NSIC in fielding percentage, including a pair of players selected to the NSIC Gold Glove team during his tenure. Hunt's teams also excelled in the classroom, finishing both 2017 and 2018 with a team GPA over 3.0.
Upon joining the Gopher Baseball staff in 2019, Hunt brought with him all the aforementioned experience, quickly building a deep, personal rapport with the team's players. As it stands today, Hunt is at the heart of the team's offensive, defensive and base running approaches and no practice takes place without his direct oversight.
The Future
The path may be a difficult one, but Hunt's ultimate goal remains to one day become a Division I head baseball coach. As Minnesota's volunteer assistant continues to juggle multiple jobs in pursuit of this dream, he is constantly refining the skills and qualities that are essential to being successful in the world of coaching.
Over the past two-plus years, Hunt has had the opportunity to learn first-hand from Anderson, who has led the Gophers since 1981. Anderson, who at one time served in a part-time capacity himself, is all the evidence one needs to see that the future is bright for the team's volunteer assistant.
"Throughout my career, I realized the importance of surrounding yourself with talented people and the significant impact it has on the success of your program on and off the field, and Brandon Hunt is one of those truly special coaches and mentors," said Anderson.
"He is a very talented, dedicated and passionate coach with a high baseball IQ, who in his short tenure has earned the trust and respect of the players due to his exceptional work ethic. His knowledge of the game, strong teaching skills and the positive relationships he has created with our players has significantly enhanced their skill development and fundamentals."
Anderson is not alone in voicing his optimism about Hunt as a rising star in the field.
"In my time as a collegiate baseball coach, Brandon is at the top of the list as a person a character, conviction and integrity," said Holm. "If I ever get back into college coaching, Brandon Hunt would be my first phone call as I would want him on my team. He's a difference maker in numerous ways and any community would be lucky to have him."
As the Maroon & Gold can attest to first-hand, Hunt is indeed a true difference maker on the playing field. No matter what the future holds, he will carry that trait with him, along with his unparalleled energy, work ethic and attention-to-detail. But for now, the Minnesota Gophers are happy to have the multi-faceted Hunt all to themselves. Just take it from the head man himself.
"The Golden Gopher Baseball program is fortunate and grateful to have Brandon as a member of our coaching staff and the positive impact he is having on the overall student-athlete experience and the culture of the program," said Anderson.
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