Charlotte native named 49ers head baseball coach

Robert Woodard is joining the Charlotte 49ers to lead the University’s baseball program. Woodard, a Charlotte native, spent the past three seasons as the pitching coach at UNC Chapel Hill. He also was pitching coach at UNCW and Virginia Tech. Woodard will replace Loren Hibbs, who announced his retirement after 27 years at the helm.

“This is an exciting moment for our baseball program,” said Director of Athletics Mike Hill. “Robert demonstrated to us that he is ready to take this step. He has been part of one of the best coaching staffs in baseball over the past several years, and he is widely respected in collegiate and professional baseball circles. We’re looking forward to welcoming him home.”

Woodard stated, “This is a day I’ve dreamed about and prepared for. I’m grateful to Mike Hill, Darin Spease and the team at Charlotte for trusting me with this opportunity. Coach Hibbs has built a great foundation here, and we will expect to be excellent in everything we do. I can’t wait to get started.”

This past year, Woodard helped lead North Carolina to 46 wins and an NCAA Super Regional appearance. In 2018, North Carolina played in the College World Series in Omaha for the 11th time in program history.

Woodard is the all-time winningest pitcher in North Carolina history, with a 34-5 career record. A graduate of Myers Park High in Charlotte, he was a three-time All-ACC performer and the 2006-07 recipient of the Patterson Medal, Carolina’s highest athletic honor. As a collegian, Woodard never lost a home game as a pitcher, finishing his career with a 22-0 record.

Drafted in the 20th round by the San Diego Padres, Woodard spent three seasons in the organization before beginning his collegiate coaching career.