Chris Hart prepares for Year 1 as NC State skipper after 22 years as assistant

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No promises were ever made, but there was always the hope Chris Hart would one day lead the N.C. State baseball program.

He earned that opportunity this summer.

Hart became the Wolfpack’s head coach following Elliott Avent’s retirement in May. The N.C. State Board of Trustees University Affairs Committee approved Hart’s contract during an emergency meeting days after Avent’s announcement.

Two months after his promotion, Hart is preparing for his inaugural season as skipper. The role isn’t much different, though, after being with the program for two decades and serving as the associate head coach for 11. He is used to balancing day-to-day coaching, big-picture planning and recruiting.

“You put in 22 years of work, and you turn down a lot of opportunities to stay here for this opportunity,” Hart told the media Thursday. “It was what I really, really wanted, what Coach Avent wanted. It’s a great feeling when you get a chance to do what you really wanted to do.”

Hart retained the staff and hired Taylor Black, who worked at Florida for four seasons after spending three seasons with N.C. State, giving the team plenty of familiarity and continuity. After spending two decades with Avent, Hart understands the value of long-term coaching partnerships.

“You want people that you trust and that are loyal to what you’re trying to do, so it’s obviously a very nice thing for me as a first time head coach to have a bunch of people around me that I trust, that are loyal to not just this program but me. … I love all those guys. I think they do a really good job. They work really hard. They’re in it for the right reasons.”

Jacob Dudan and Ryan Marohn, two of the Wolfpack’s key starters, suffered season-ending injuries in April. The rest of the bullpen did what it could, but there wasn’t enough firepower on the pitching staff to overcome their absences.

The Wolfpack recruited pitchers who have proven themselves at other schools, while bringing in talented arms the staff believes can produce on the mound.

Hart served as the team’s recruiting coordinator during Avent’s tenure and has maintained a hands-on approach during the transition. The staff focused on pitchers, hoping to limit the impact of losses.

“You always have some injuries,” Hart said. “Obviously, you don’t hope they’re your two big horses, but I do think we’re way deeper and more equipped to handle some hiccups in the road this year.”

Hart expects to remain heavily involved in the recruiting efforts going forward, though it will likely evolve as he settles into the role. The staff has been finalizing plans for the players it will contact on Aug. 1, when the recruiting window opens.

For now, Hart is pleased with his inaugural roster and has high expectations for Year 1.

“We feel like we put together exactly what we needed to do offensively and on the mound,” Hart said, “to put ourselves in the best position possible to go try to win an ACC championship and a national championship.”

Hart knows his teams probably won’t be able to do it all, but he’ll try to construct teams that get as close as possible. He’s been doing it already.

The Wolfpack’s philosophy will be to put pressure on opponents from every area: hitting, pitching, defense, plate discipline and base running. Hart doesn’t want power hitters who can’t defend, but he also doesn’t want tiny defenders who can’t hit for power.

“You’ve got to be able to have some sort of balance in there,” Hart said. “That’s ideally what I would love to be able to do, say, ‘Hey, we’re gonna be able to attack you from all different styles, all different angles.’”

The Wolfpack completed the roster about a week ago, Hart said, and will get started with fall prep once everyone is back on campus.

N.C. State plans to focus on individual work for the first three weeks of the school year before playing four fall ball games.

Appalachian State will come to Raleigh on Sept. 25, the day before N.C. State hosts the Mountaineers in football.

It faces North Carolina on Oct. 16 at Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Duke and Liberty will also be part of the fall lineup, but those dates have not been confirmed.

When fall ball concludes, the team plans to move into individual work and winter prep before the season starts in February.

This story was originally published July 31, 2026 at 6:00 AM with the headline “Chris Hart prepares for Year 1 as NC State skipper after 22 years as assistant.”